Grand Duchess Valentine
by The gangsta of love
Summary: AU. Resha Valentine was given the title of Grand Duchess by the king of Symphonia because of her incredable power that allowed her kingdom to win the war against the country of Raregroove. Almost 50 years have passed since then and... FULL SUMMARY INSIDE
1. Prolouge

**Resha Valentine was given the title of Duchess by the King of Synphonia because of her incredible power that allowed her kingdom to win the war against The country of Raregroove. Almost Fifty years have passed since then and The Valentine Family has been in charge of New Elie State in the name of Symphonia ever since. Things have been peaceful for the kingdom, until recently. A new conspiracy has threatened not only the kingdom, but every world involved. The key to everyone's salvation or destruction is the young duchess of the Valentine family, who was hidden in another world for her own safety for six years. When the duchess gets discovered by the powerful new enemy, her only hope, and the hope for everyone, lays with her motley crew of odd friends, who may not have enough maturity or enough in common with each other to do anything. Can anyone be saved? Or will they be able to rise to the challenge?**

**I don't own Rave Master.

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**Prologue**

Elie laid curled up in her large, cozy queen sized bed listening to the howling wind that whipped all around outside her bedroom window. There was a nasty blizzard blowing outside the castle, and she was very grateful to be where she was right now, especially at this late hour, but she just couldn't bring herself to fall asleep.

She peered around her beautifully decorated room, which seemed much more eerie than it normally did. Shadows from across her large room, big enough to be a normal sized house's living room, cast the most monstrous shapes. Her furniture, her toys, everything seemed to be making the most hideous of face, all staring into her.

She pulled her covers closer to her small form before she finally mentally slapped herself. "What am I doing?" She said to herself. "I am a ten year old girl! I am too old to be afraid of dumb shadows! Grr! Why can't I just go to sleep?!" She kicked her out legs in a very frustrated motion under her covers until she was finally able to settle down.

She let out an aggravated sigh, as she repositioned herself in her bed. She knew the real reason she was up this late and it wasn't because of anything spooky. She recalled her parents conversation all to well. She knew eavesdropping was wrong, but it was just one of those little things she just couldn't help herself to, like those cookies that she was told would spoil her dinner.

First all the weird stuff that's been happening lately, and now this? Something in her just couldn't brush it off any longer. "Why are they leaving?" She thought worriedly to herself. Her parents were going to be summoned to the capitol to meet the king. Considering what her parents did for a living it wasn't an odd occurrence, but it was the way the were informed of it. When they got that call to go see him, their voices were so anxious. Not to mention that this summon just came out of the blue and it was such an odd time of year for the king to be asking- No! he was demanding their presences.

Could they be in trouble? No if the king was angry with them, he would have sent for them, not making them go to him. Still, why was this happening?

She asked her parents about his before they tucked her- I mean said good night to her that evening. She was far to old to be tucked in by her parents. At first they scolded her for listening in on their conversations, as expected. Then their demeanors softened and they explained to her that there was nothing to worry about.

Well, if her parents assured her it would be just fine, then she trusted them. They never steered her wrong before, right?

Elie turned over in her bed for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. She looked at the clock, 11:47 P.M. She shouldn't be up this late if she was going to see her parents off before their journey to the capitol early tomorrow morning. So she pushed her troubles to the back of her mind the best she could.

She let out one last sigh and shut her eyes. Minutes past in silence, even the wind outside seemed to die down a little. The little girl was finally beginning to drift off into a peaceful, good night's sleep.

"**AHHHH!!!" BAMM!!!! BAMM!!!! BAMM!!!!**

The noise caused the girl to shoot up from her bed, completely startled. What in the world was that awful, deafening blast? It was unlike anything she had ever heard before. The closest thing to it was thunder. But there was no thundering, or lightening out side, it was snowing!

The first sound she could understand right away however. Some one was screaming for their life.

"M-momma? Dad?" She horrifyingly assumed.

~*~

Seig panted heavily as he bolted up the stairs. "No! No! No! No! This can't be happening!" he thought franticly. "They can't be gone! I'm supposed to protect them! How could I let this happen?! I- No! I can't think about that now! I have to keep a level head! The girl is my only priority now!" He ran through the corridors of the castle like a flash. With the help of adrenalin and his fear of what had and might happen rushing through his head, He made it to the room he was looking for in no time.

At first he banged on the door and yelled "Your grace it's Seig Hart! Let me enter!" only a second later before the person on the other side could respond, he realized that it was too big of an emergency to be using his usual formalities with her and he bust through the door.

Thankfully, the ten year old girl he that he came for was sitting in her bed just as he prayed for, and that he had gotten to her before anyone else did. The child was a little shaken up- looking, but fortunately unharmed.

He immediately went to her side. "Milady, we need to go, it's not safe here!"

Elie's eyes were wide and fearfully. A thousand things were going through her head too fast for her to process them. She could only stare up at the man fearfully as she attempted to get her words out. "W-What's going-"

"There's no time to explain! Take this, and put your shoes on, quickly!" Seig tossed her a coat. It was the only one he was able to get his hands on during his frantic hurrying.

Seig quickly went to the window and looked outside to inspect if anyone was there while Elie slipped on her boots. As Elie tried to slipped into the coat she realized something. This was her mothers coat, not her's. She had seen her mother wear it plenty of times before, and it was much too big for Elie. The sleeves went past her finger tips, and it almost dragged to the floor.

She didn't understand. If they were leaving right now, wouldn't mom need her coat? She barely got one arm in the sleeve before Sieg took it and ran so fast out of the room, he was practically dragging her.

As they whizzed through the corridors of the large castle (Elie fumbling with the coat along the way) searching for an exit, only more and more questions kept popping into the girl's head. Where **were** her parents? Why was it so important to leave, that she didn't have time to pack, or even change out of her nightgown? And above all, WHAT WAS HAPPENING?!

Finally they made it out of the castle and outside. The snow was blowing wildly all around them and it was piled up to her shins. With only her boots , her 'not-as-think-as-she-originally-thought' nightgown , and her mother's coat protecting her, her legs froze a little more with each step and stung her skin like needles.

She could barely see two inches in front of her face because of this blizzard. Apart of her was very grateful that Seig was still holding tightly to her hand, but his pace barely slackened at all outside and she was constantly tripping, causing him to harshly drag her. It came to the point where Sieg just picked her up and carried her under one of his arms.

After what seemed like forever, even though it was only a few minutes, they had finally reached their destination. One of Elie's family's carriages. It took Elie a minute to figure this out. She was barely able to make out the outline of the vehicle in the storm even when she was right in front of it, let alone what type of animals were going to pull it.

All she knew was that Seig had just shoved her into what felt like either a large box, or a small room and shut the door behind him as he entered. She felt the snow whipping around her stop as she slowly focused her eyes. It was definitely one of her family's rides. It was the small one, big enough for only two, maybe three depending on how big the passengers were, and if they were willing to squeeze in.

The interior had quite the cozy design to it, but it was difficult for Elie to feel cozy at all after whatever had just happened. She sat on the floor as she looked upon Seig who gave the driver, some sort of order. Then they were moving.

Seig slumped against his seat trying to catch his breath. He had the most haunted look on his face. He just stared ahead, lost in his own thoughts for a few minutes as he got his breathing under control.

Then his head snapped down to look at the child he had just rescued. She was sitting on the floor of the carriage, soaking wet from the snow. She looked back up at the man with large round eyes as she silently shivered.

"Y-your grace! You shouldn't sit on the floor, please come here."

He coaxed her next to him. As he looked upon he haunted child, he could tell that she was in just as worse shape mentally as him. He wanted to put his arm around her, to hug her to let her know they were safe now, but he knew he mustn't. He had his place and he had already crossed the line too much already with her tonight trying to save her. So he did the next best thing. The took off his own coat and gently wrapped it around her. She was obviously cold.

"We are safe now Grand Duchess."

Elie looked at him bewildered by what he had just said. Grand Duchess? No she was just the regular Duchess from the State of New Elie. She wouldn't become the 'Grand Duchess' of the Symphonian state until she inherited the title once her parents…

Elie wouldn't Finnish that thought. She refused. If she was called the Grand Duchess, than that would mean her parents must be… Soft tears came to her eyes…Oh God, was that what that thunder sound was?

She needed to know if it was true. She need the answers to a lot of questions, but for some reason she couldn't find her voice. She didn't have the strength to even move her head to look at the man she sat next to. Her mind was moving at a mile a minute, but the rest of her body just wouldn't budge.

Was this what it meant to be in shock?

"Sigh. Try to get some rest Grand Duchess. We have a long journey ahead of us." Seig told her as his eyes drooped. It was clear he was exhausted.

Elie could only think to herself sarcastically, "Oh yeah, like I'm really gonna sleep after this."

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**I know you probubly have a lot of questions right now, but I can't answer them witout giveing away any spoilers. But don't worry everything will be answered.**

**I've decided to update this story every week (At least for now) So I'll see you next Weekend!**


	2. Mysteries Surround Her Part 1

**Mysteries surround her part 1**

**Hey it's Friday again!**

**I don't own Rave Master (why would I be writing Fan Fiction if I did?)**

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BBRRRIIIINNNGG!!!!! "I know! I know! I'm late!" Haru yelled at the late bell as he trudged to first period.

He was the last one left in the school hallway. Everyone else was already in class. He would have been there too, if it weren't for those snot nosed bullies that had ganged up on him during homeroom. Three much taller boys, most likely in sixth grade, just threw him in the garbage can! He was late because he had to go to the boys room to pull the trash out of clothes and hair. The stickier ones were especially gross and difficult to remove.

That was the problem with this school. If you try to do any little thing wrong, you'd be caught and punished right away, but where are the teachers when you're the one who is in trouble? You know that's how the Columbine bullies got there start! Haru thought angrily as he pulled off the remnants of a candy wrapper that stuck to his shirt.

Then again, Haru thought, I'm probably just blowing things out of proportion. It's not like those other kids _never _got in trouble. And Haru was very sure that he would never grow up to be a high school shooter. The situation just really aggravated him.

"I bet I could have taken those guys if they hadn't jumped me all at once! Grr! It's all my stupid head's fault! Why couldn't I be born looking normal!"

Haru was picked on a lot because of the way he looked. He was a short, scrawny ten year old fifth grader. His slightly tanned skin proved that he enjoyed playing outside a lot, and his baggie, long, jean shorts and skater tee-shirts were very much in style at this time. So what made him look so different that the other kids felt that they needed to pick on him?

It was his hair and eyes. His eyes were a light lavender purple and his hair was a whitish silver that naturally spiked up, like how some people have hair that just naturally curls. People told him that because he wore those odd colored contacts and dyed his hair the color of an old man's, he looked like a punk and that he was practically asking for it. The weird thing about all that was that he never dyed his hair and he did not wear contacts. It was all natural, not that anybody who hadn't known him for his entire life believed that.

"I swear someday I will get so strong and tough , no one will _want_ to mess with me. They'll know right away, just by looking at me that I'm not the kind of person to … to… sigh." As Haru was going on his little rant when he suddenly realized something that made him loose most of his steam. His dad would have something to say about that kind of attitude.

It was strange. Both his parents had died in a car accident when he was five, and even though he had now lived about half of his life without them, he could still imagine the way his dad spoke with him so clearly. He was always trying to give Haru words of wisdom and advice to live by as if he could tell from a young age that Haru was meant for something great.

" If dad was here he'd tell me something like 'When your motivation to get strong is the same as the person you are up against, the fight is pointless. Therefore revenge is a pointless act because you are just doing the same to them as their originally action. The one with the stronger motivation always wins.' Or something like that."

His father's voice always acted as his conscience. Sometimes it was comforting, other times it was annoying.

Finally Haru had made it to the door to his first period class. He stuck his head in ever so slightly, being careful to make sure the door did not make a noise. Miss Perch, his teacher was the oldest, ugliest, and strictest teacher the fifth grade had to offer. It didn't matter if you were late to class because your legs were chopped off and you had to crawl on your belly bleeding to death to get to class, she'd still be mad at your tardiness.

Miss Perch hated tardiness above all else, but luckily she seemed too busy lecturing the class about something in her shrill voice to notice Haru. That was just the way Haru needed it to be if he was to avoid detention.

The Ten year old swiftly, yet silently made his way to his seat. It was all the way in the back row, which on one hand was good because it was less likely the teacher would notice he wasn't there. On the other hand it meant a longer trip tiptoeing to the back, which was very risky and he would get into even more trouble if he was caught trying to get away with being late, than if he were to just fess up right away.

Luckily for Haru he had made it all the way to his seat without the teacher saying anything. He assumed this meant he wasn't spotted.

As he got settled in, the silver haired boy could overhear what Miss Perch was prattling on about. "Now I expect you to treat your new classmate with dignity and respect. Is that understood? Now, miss Valentine you may tell the class a little about yourself, but make it brief!"

Oh now I see, Haru thought, We've got a new kid. It was a little girl around the age of ten. She had bright brown eyes like honey. Her hair was somewhere in between dark blond and light brown and was just long enough to scrape the top of her shoulders. Her peachy skin had almost a pink hue, especially in her cheeks, and she wore one of those 'first day of school' dresses that parents made their little girls wear to '_make a good impression on your first day.' _Haru had noticed that all the while Elie had said nothing despite the fact that the teacher gave her permission to. She just looked around the classroom in unsettled bewilderment, like she had never been in one before.

"Oh dear." the old teacher said to herself as she looked down at the girls transcript. "Oh I see." she said as she adjusted her glasses. Then she turned back to the class. "Well class your new classmate is actually from out of the country. Her name is Elie Valentine, and I don't believe she understands English." It didn't state whether she could or not, but because she hadn't spoken at all and was not responding, it was a safe bet that she couldn't.

"Mr. Glory! I am assigning you to show her around the school for the remainder of the school week!" The old teach yelled back to him.

Haru was a little taken back by Miss Perch's request. It's not like he knew any second languages, let alone what _this_ girl spoke. So he voiced his confusion. "Why me?"

She responded with an angry glare. "Consider it your punishment for your tardiness, or would you rather a detention."

The ten year old' face went red with embarrassment. "Oh you saw that? Heh heh. Um I'll, uh take the foreigner."

~*~

Haru didn't really mind having Elie around. In fact, after a while he actually started enjoying her company. She would follow him everywhere with the most amazed and curious look on her face. It was like it was the first time she had ever step foot in a public school. Elie never spoke a word the entire time, furthering the theory that she did not speak English. So whenever Haru spoke, he didn't expect much.

It was lunch time before anyone knew it and Haru had spent the whole time going over things. This was this, and that was that. He'd just go on and on telling her anything actually. It was nice talking to someone who didn't interrupt to tell you your weird. He could have said 'I'm a monkey headed boo-boo nut,' (Which he did to test her) and she wouldn't even raise an eyebrow. How fun was that? She was like a living journal, he could tell her anything.

To thank her for that, he bought her lunch. Haru just didn't think it was fair to make a person who didn't understand the word 'mystery meat' buy lunch, so be bought two of everything.

"So once you got everything you want on your tray, you just go up to the hair net lady and she'll tell you how much money to give her." He explained as he handed her a turkey sandwich. She gladly accepted it and smiled. Maybe she didn't know the boys exact words, but on some level, but she showed that she understood.

The two were having a nice lunch until Haru suddenly felt a cold sensation running down his back, startling him to the point where he yelped a little. "Oops sorry, I spilled a little, did I get ya?" A mocking tone was heard over Haru's shoulder.

Three boys, including the one who soaked Haru's shirt, just showed up and rudely plopped themselves down without asking. One of them just pored his drink down Haru's back. The ten year old glared at theses boys, the same jerks who made him late for Miss Perch's class. It was clear they only wanted to cause trouble.

Haru was about to say something back when his father's voice went off in his head. He decided to be the bigger man. "No I'm fine." Haru said through gritted teeth. He knew they were just trying to get a rise out of him.

"No you're not, Heh, your such a loser, silver head. Your girlfriend here must be brain dead or something to sit with you." Said the fattest boy of the three.

Okay, messing with him was one thing, but talking about his new friend like that was crossing the line. The three boys would finally get that reaction.

"Leave her alone! She doesn't even understand English, Numb nuts!"

"That explains why she's hanging around you_, Doo-doo_" Said the tallest of the three bullies as he eyed Elie down, receiving an angry look from her in the process.

"My. Name. Is. **Haru**!" The poor ten year old boy was only getting more peeved off by the second. "Doo-doo isn't even a clever nick name!"

"Neither is Haru!" Said the one who pored his drink. "Heh. Haru. What does that even mean anyway?"

"Spring wind."

Every boy was surprised to hear a new voice chime in. They looked across the lunch table surprised to hear Elie finally talk, and in English no less!

"A Haru is a spring wind that spreads flower seeds. It's a breeze that is just warm enough to remind you that winter is ending and summer will arrive soon. It's a symphonian word." Elie spoke in the sweetest of voices that reminded one of baby lamb or an innocent child . It had a slight accent that proved to others it was still foreign, but one could not place it exactly. It was as if it was a combination of English, German, French, and eastern European, if that was possible, but the way she pronounced certain words were just unable to be placed.

"You can talk!?" Haru said in genuine surprise and little embarrassment. She heard him call himself a Monkey headed boo-boo nut and understood him?!

"Ooh, I guess that makes you ugly and a liar, huh doo-doo?" The bully mocked Haru. "Ha ha, YIPE!"

The Bully was instantly startled by a freezing sensation that he suddenly felt on his lap. This time Elie was the one who pored her drink on him.

She smirked at him in mock sweetness. "_Oh please forgive me. I thought that was how you greet someone in America." _She said with a hint of sarcasm, which was very interesting to hear with her accent. It made Haru smile.

"Oh, you are dead new girl!" The bully was mad and not afraid to show it. Haru became concerned that his new friend would be hurt, so he tried to defend her when suddenly the other two boys grabbed the back of his shirt to hold him back. As the bully rose from his seat, his eyes burning into Elie's with the clear intent to hurt her, a very shrill voice was heard. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

Miss Perch strode right up to their cafeteria table, clearly not amused by the sight of the children's actions. Her hands rested on her hips in an impatient fashion.

"Nothing !" The bully snapped at the old teacher, already in a bad mood.

"Don't take that tone with me young man! And one more thing, We are not an infant in diapers! The next time the urge to soil yourself occurs, wait until you get into the lavatory!"

The boy looked down at hit pants, still soaked from when Elie dumped her drink on him. He heard kids from other tables giggle and noticed their stares. Finally realization hit him. 'YOU THINK I WET MYSELF?! THIS IS ALL HER FAU-"

"Now that is quite enough out of you, young man! Come now! We are going to the principle's office." She grabbed his arm and roughly pulled him away. The bully took one last look at Haru and Elie before given them a look that said 'I'll get you for this."

With their ringleader gone the fat boy and tall boy left Haru and Elie alone again. The ten year old turned to his new foreign friend.

"I can't believe that you can speak English."

"Of coarse I can." She beamed. "You really shouldn't assume these things."

Haru couldn't help but be a little disappointed and embarrassed. "Why didn't you say anything this whole time?"

"I was trying to take it all in, besides it is rude to interrupt someone. By the way I've been meaning to ask this since you brought it up, What's a Monkey headed boo-boo nut?"

Haru remembered why he was so disappointed. This meant no more human journal. "Sigh. It just means I'm a freak." He answered looking downcast.

"Well if you're what's considered a freak here, Then I must be an even bigger Monkey headed boo-boo nut than you by a mile."

That just made Haru chuckle. He gave it some thought, He may have lost a human journal, but a friend who could actually give him feedback and help him with creeps like those jerks could maybe be just as good. Maybe better, at least that's what his fifth grade mind came up with.

"Hey Elie, I've got an idea. Would you like to come over to my house and hang out?"

~*~

After school Haru dragged Elie all across their small town to get to his place. It was such a lovely small town. It was like something right out of the 1950's. All of the shops were home made businesses, even the movie theater was something out of an old photo album. You could see a few cars, mostly pickup trucks, parked here or there, but mostly everyone was walking on the sidewalk. The town was so small, the less lazy people who weren't in a hurry could probably just walk from one end of it to the next in no time. All in all it was a quaint little old fashioned place.

"Your village is so pretty Haru." Elie said in awe. Haru needed to hold her hand and guide her the whole way because she just could not tare her eyes off of the lovely scenery long enough for her to watch where she was going. They learned this the hard way a couple of times before they actually came to that conclusion.

"Hmpf. Yeah, Pretty boring." The ten year old replied. "I can't wait until I get out of here. Maybe even get out of Indiana all together. I just want to be the kind of person who can really make a difference to other people. Someone that other's can look up to. You can't be anything like that here."

Elie understood completely. The fact that you couldn't be noticed here was exactly the reason she came in the first place. But she didn't voice that out loud.

"Okay her we are. Home sweet home." Haru exclaimed as they stopped in front of a café with a large sign that read 'Café Tsubomi' hanging over the front door.

"You live in a restaurant?" The little girl questioned.

"No I live in the apartment above it. The Café is owned by my mother's older brother, Genma. He took me and my sister in after my parents died." He explained.

Elie went tense at the thought of dead parents. She knew what that was like.

"Come on I'll show you around" Haru lead the girl through the front doors, through the dining area, and up the stairs to the apartment. His uncle was too busy with customers to notice him or his new friend. It was one of those days that were strangely busy for a 3:15 on a Monday afternoon., but that just meant that business was good.

Once upstairs Haru flicked on the light switch, making the dark room a little brighter.

Elie practically flipped out over the small action. "H-HOW'D YOU DO THAT?!"

"What?" He asked in bewilderment.

"You made it go from dark to light without lighting any candles, or opening the windows, or anything!!" She exclaimed

The boy was a little surprised to hear her say that. "Don't you have electricity where you're from?"

Electricity? That was a type of fighting magic where she was from. She never heard of using it to make a room lighter, but Seig Hart Assured her that there was no magic here, and that she shouldn't even bring up the word. Still, she had to know what the boy was talking about. "What do you mean electricity?"

Okay, Is she serious? Haru thought. Where the heck did this girl come from. European-ish accent, Completely oblivious to modern day technology, what's with her?!

Look. See, electricity runs from this tiny lever all the way up to that glass orb on the ceiling," Elie's eyes followed his pointed fingers exactly as he tried to show her. "Then, when I turn the lever up, the light turns on, When I turn it down, it goes off."

He demonstrated it for her once or twice, before allowing her to try it. She cautiously reached out towards the switch, expecting it to bite her or shock her, it was powered by electricity after all. With a tiny flick of her wrist, much less effort than she originally thought it would be, she flipped the switch.

She yelped in surprise like she wasn't expecting it. It didn't hurt, it changed the lighting just like Haru said it would. She grinned wildly as she did it again. "I'm doing it!" She squealed in delight.

They played with the light switch for a few minutes longer. Haru couldn't remember ever having this much fun with just playing with the lights but her reaction to it was just so priceless. If this is how she reacted to a simple light switch, what else would she react to?

For the next hour, Haru showed her around his entire apartment, just showing off appliances. Elie could barely contain her amazement over the new and strange devises that allowed her to do things that she never dreamed could be done not by hand or without magic. They both had so much fun!

The T.V. was especially strange to her. It looked like a glass box lined with this substance called plastic that her new friend told her about, but when it was turned on it appeared to be a window where one could watch other people live their lives, like a crystal ball. Could the people in the television see her too?

"And each channel is labeled with it's own number, so if you want to see a certain channel, you just have to press it's number. Hey, you know what would be fun? Why don't we watch your first movie together!" Haru exclaimed happily.

"Movie?" The girl repeated as she tried to pronounce the foreign word.

"Yeah, it's a T.V. thing! Here, you can just stay right here and fiddle with this thing while I go make a snack for us, then I'll set it up for us to enjoy." He handed her the T.V. remote.

Elie still didn't quite understand what it was, but the way Haru spoke of it, it had to be fun. "Okay."

As Haru left for the room, Elie began pushing buttons on the remote thingy that Haru had handed her, trying to remember exactly what made the television do what. She pushed a button and the screen changed. In the television, Elie could see a few men standing around, pointing at each other with these strange devices, All of the men looked extremely angry as they glared at each other.

The girls expression quickly changed from confusion, to shock, and then melted into pure terror as she watched the scene lay out before her. One of the devices that the man was holding made a loud noise that sounded just like the thunder that she heard on the night she and Seig fled her family's castle. Within the very same instant, the man the device was pointed at, just dropped to the ground with blood gushing from a wound that seemingly came from no where. Within a few seconds, the T.V. man was dead.

~*~

The microwave made a beeping sound, signaling that the popcorn was done. As Haru pulled it out, he couldn't keep the smile off of his face. This was the most fun he had with any friend for a long time, and they were just doing stupid stuff. He never had any close friends before. They were more like 'single-serving friends'. He would talk to them all the time at school but never any place else. Whenever anyone ever moved away, or school let out, they would promise that they would keep in touch, but they never did. There were some kids at his school that he used to hang out with a lot, but now they would be lucky to just share a glance as they passed in the hall.

Why do friends grow apart, Haru never really knew, but for some reason, he felt like Elie could be different, and not just because she was the only friend he ever had who thought a vacuum was some sort of creature at first sight.

He pored the popcorn into a ceramic bowl. Speaking of 'single-serving friends', maybe Elie would be interested in seeing 'Fight Club'.

Naw, this is her first movie, it probably wasn't a good idea to have it be so intense. Hmm. Maybe-

"AAAHHHH!!!!!"

"Haru was so startled by the sudden heart wrenching scream coming from the living room, he practically jumped three feet in the air. He dropped the popcorn bowl he was holding, letting it smash all over the kitchen floor, Pieces of broken ceramic and popcorn went everywhere. The realization hit him, that scream came from Elie! And that wasn't just any kind of scream, that was the kind of scream a person lets out when something truly horrible just happened or is about to happen.

Either way, Haru knew he had to spring into action. He ran past the mess, to the door and swung it open. To his shock the living room was completely empty. Now he was really getting scared.

"E-ELIE?! ELIE, WHERE ARE YOU?!" He called out franticly.

"Haru." Came a whisper from a near by closet.

He turned in the soft voice's direction and saw the girl he was so worried about sitting down in the closet, through the cracked door.

The ten year old rushed into the closet with her to sit by her side to inspect her condition. He was about to ask for an explanation, when she suddenly threw both of her arms around him in a tight, unexpected hug.

Elies voice cracked and even though it was pretty dark in the closet, he could tell she was on the verge of tears. "Oh Haru, I was afraid they'd got you." She whimpered.

"Who's they?" the confused boy asked . He played along and made sure his voice was as low as her's.

"Sniff. The man in the Television. They have this device that makes thunder sounds and then you drop dead. He already killed one man."

Haru poked his head out of the closet door. No one was there but he could hear a shoot-um-up film playing in the background. He then understood.

"No! Haru! Don't go out there! He'll hurt you!" The girl whispered as loud as she could so that no one out side the closet could hear.

He turned back to her. "No, no, Elie, It's okay. The T.V. people can't hurt you. They're just acting."

"Acting? You mean like a play?" She asked. Her voice still trembling a little. Her parents had taken her to plays before, but they were nothing like that.

"Yeah, that's what the T.V. does. It shows plays, only they're more real looking, and even though we can see them, they can't see us, so you don't have to be afraid." The ten year old explained in an attempt to calm the terrified little girl down.

Elie still didn't quite understand completely, but the fact that she now knew the evil man wouldn't hurt her or her freind, calmed her down exceedingly. She hugged Haru again, this time a little softer. He hugged her back to show her it was safe.

"I'm sorry Elie. I should have explained that better." He felt the girl sigh and relax a little bit in his embrace, letting go of her tension. At that moment Harufeit guilty, relieved, and very protctivr at the same time. He swore he would never let Elie make that awful scream again, not as long as he could help it.

It was at that very sweet moment, that the closet door swung open , revealing a very mad looking 14 year old girl. She was of average height and had the same skin tone as Haru. She wore normal fitting blue jeans, white tennis sneakers, and a pink zip up sweat shirt with a small flower design donning the left side of her chest. Her long black hair was pulled up into a ponytail and her chocolate brown eyes fixed her angry glare at Haru.

"Haru, what do you think you're doing?! Everyone in the restaurant heard some sort of scream and when I come up here to check it out, I find the kitchen a mess, and you playing 'seven minutes in heaven' with some girl?!"

The boy was more than a little embarrassed by his sister's accusation. Then again she did just barge in on them when they were hugging on the floor of a dark closet. "W-what- no sis! It isn't like that! We were-"

"Forget it!" The 14 year old snapped as she grabbed her brother's shirt and dragged him out of the closet and away from his friend. "We are swamped down in the café! Clean up the kitchen, and throw and apron on so you can help us, RIGHT NOW!"

As little, forgotten Elie crawled out of the closet herself and watched as her friend get taken away, a thought came to her mind. What kind of game is this 'seven minutes in heaven'?

* * *

**Now wasn't that cute? Still have a lot of questions? What?! More questions?! You'll just have to keep reading! Anyway, I've got high hopes for this fanfiction, so I'd like some feed back. You know, Pressing the little review button. It's right there and all you have to do is just write what you thought and you'll get my graditude. It only takes a few minutes too!**

**Any way, I guess I'll see you next Friday!**

**Bye Bye!**


	3. Mysteries Surround Her Part 2

Mysteries surround her part 2

I still don't own Rave master, but I'm working on it…..Okay not really.

**The years rolled by pretty quickly for Haru and Elie. It seemed like just yesterday Haru was introducing technology to the foreign girl. In a way it was just yesterday….Plus six years, give or take a month. **

**Both of them were now in the 10th grade and still very good friends. Just like before, many 'single serving friends' came and went into their lives, but the friendship that they shared with each other seemed to be the only one that really stuck.**

**They currently had one more friend that they enjoyed hanging out with every so often. His name was Let. Let was a tall pale skinned kid with piercing yellow eyes and silver hair a shade or two darker than Haru's. When Let first transferred in to their school, people made fun of his looks the same way they had always done with Haru. This was the reason Haru sympathized with him and immediately wanted to be friends with this new kid.**

**Let seemed to always dress slightly preppy and often spoke with perfect grammar. The reason for this was because before he came to Haru and Elie's high school, he went to a very nice boarding school. Seven months ago, Let's sick mother took a turn for the worse and he rushed home to be by her. Sadly she died only a few weeks after Let's homecoming. Afterwards Let choose not to go back to the boarding school and decided to finish up his high school career at home in a public school. **

**Whether it was the fact that he didn't want to leave his father all alone to grieve, or because he himself was not handling his mother's passing to the point where he could not just go back to school like his usual business., He didn't say. Again this was something both Haru and Elie could sympathize with. **

**Unfortunately Let was 18 years old and a senior, meaning that next year he would leave town to go to collage and probably never be seen by them again. Despite this sad fact, Haru and Elie were happy to just spend the time they had with him. So he was another single serving friend, what else was new?**

**The three of them were much more focused on the here and now, and right now the three of them were sitting at the counter of the Café Tsubomi restaurant. Well, two of them were sitting, Haru was behind the counter, making cappuccinos for customers; as was his job at his uncle's café. But he was participating in his friend's discussion no less.**

"**Tee Hee. This is the best grade my public speaking teacher ever gave me!" Elie Exclaimed as she held up a grade sheet with the number 80 on it. The once little girl was now a beautiful 16 year old woman. She no longer had any trouble understanding technology and her accent was nearly gone and could only be heard when she spoke certain words. **

**While her body had grown much curvier, she was still pretty short for her age and her legs dangled off the stool she was sitting on and kicked back and forth like an excited little kid. She had such a baby face that if it wasn't for the fact that her body was so developed (especially in the chest area) she would have been mistaken for a 13 or 14 year old.**

"**Um Pardon me Elie, but if you've been working so hard and the very best you can muster is a low 80, than um." Let stammered as he tried to think of a way not to sound rude. **

**Haru cut in "Why'd you take that class anyway? You'd get just as much credit taking English 102, and** the class is so much easier, _**and**_ we could have taken it together and copied off of each other's homework!"

"Because I want to be a good public speaker that's why! And you'll get much farther in life taking the more challenging road, apron boy!" She pointed at Haru's apron and pouted at him. They were ruining her C-. You think they would be proud that she didn't get the usual D or F Besides, she needed to be a good speaker for her future career.

"Sorry Elie." Haru mulled it over. That whole challenging road thing sounded like something his dad would tell him. "Did Seig tell you that or your parents?"

The sound of the word 'parents' made her tense up a little, but she refused to show it. "Seig told it to me."

"Who is Seig anyway?" Let asked as he sipped some of the coffee Haru poured him. He had heard the name quite a few times in the past, but now his curiosity had gotten the better of him and he decided to ask..

Elie looked down so no one could see her face. "H-he's my guardian. I've been with him since my parents… passed away."

Let suddenly felt a small pang of guilt wash over him. He didn't mean to ask about such a painful subject. He knew how horrible it was to loose his mom, if he lost his dad too…

"I-I'm so sorry-"

"That's okay!" Elie snapped, putting on a happy face for her friends. "You didn't know. Don't worry about it. I'd rather talk about the Semi-formal dance this Saturday night!"

There really was a school dance that coming Saturday. The Semi formal was the biggest dance of the school year. At least for the sophomores. Elie truly was looking forward to it, but it was also true she was just bringing it up as a change of subject.

Haru looked at her sadly. In all the years he had known her, Elie never spoke about her parents, just that they were dead and that she lived with her guardian Seig Hart. Haru had told his best friend about his parent's passing the first day they had met. Although he could clearly see that it caused her great pain, Haru refused to make her talk. Having both his parents dead as well, he knew that this wasn't the type of subject you speak casually about.

He had always noticed that whenever he went over Elie's house to visit, her guardian Seig watched them like a hawk. He was truly the most overprotective person he had ever seen. That's why Elie had to do so much begging whenever she wanted to go any where. The only thing Haru could speculate was that whatever happened to her family in the past, must have been so awful to make the guardian act this way.

Still, Haru never pushed her. She would talk when she was ready. In the mean time, all he could do was give her enough support to show her that she could trust him and hope she would tell him her secret on her own accord. He did that as often as he could.

He saw Elie's subject change as a mean of telling them to drop it. Going along with it, he answered "Yeah, I'm totally pumped for it."

"What's this? You two wouldn't happen to be going to this dance as a date now would you?" Let questioned with a smirk on his face.

They both turned red at the question. Haru answered first. "No! No! You've got it all wrong!"

"Y-yeah! Haru and I are just going as friends!" The girl added.

"Yeah, as friends who can tell each other anything. " Haru added.

Elie looked back at the boy. He was smiling at her but his eyes were pleading. He was so terrible at giving hints. This was his subtle way of asking Elie for her secret. This only made her sad, remembering full well why she couldn't tell him.

"Exactly" She said unsteadily as she got off the stool. "Seig will be expecting me home soon, I have to go."

Elie swiftly walked out the door, not looking back at her friends. Haru's expression turned to disappointment. Today was clearly not the day.

He let out a sad sigh and stared at the counter top forlornly until a random voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"Hey can I get a refill over here!"

"Coming!" Haru yelled back as he sprung into action to do what his uncle paid him for.

~*~

A man sat cross legged with his hands resting gently on his knees in a dark room, dimly lighted by candles. He breathed deeply and exhaled, letting everything go. In, out, in, out. His eyes were closed in concentration, but his mind was free. He was truly in a peacefully state of mind. Nothing would or could disrupt him at this moment.

"SEIG! I'M BACK!" Unless the Grand Duchess barged in.

After hearing the front door shut, Seig only had to wait a few seconds for Elie to appear in his rooms doorway. "Hi Sieg. Am I interrupting anything? "

"No. of course not. I was only about to attain inner peace, but who wants that?" He answered jokingly.

"Sorry"

"Don't be. What do you need of me my grace?"

Elie stared at her feet bashfully before answering. "Um. I wanted to ask you something kind of important."

"Yes?"

"Well" she fiddled with her fingers behind her back. She looked anywhere but in the eyes of the man she was speaking to. Clearly she was nervous about his answer. "Does our secret have to just stay **our **secret? I mean, if a person is trustworthy enough-"

"No." He answered quickly. They have had this conversation many times before. Seig already knew what she was trying to say.

"But Haru deserves to know the truth! He's been so patient, and I hate carrying this around with me everywhere, unable to let anyone know how I feel!"

"I'm sorry milady." He truly was. "It is law that we never let the outer worlders know of inner world's existence."

"But what if the day comes when Haru won't put up with the secrets anymore?" She asked, saddened at the very thought of Haru getting so fed up with her that he'd break off their friendship.

"Madame someday the day will come when it is safe to go back home. He will go off to collage, and neither of you will see each other again anyway. If he hasn't broken off your friendship in all the time that he has known you, I'm sure that you two can stick it out for a little while longer. Just enjoy the relationship you have with him now as it is."

Elie was going to say something but she stopped herself when she figured out this conversation will just end up the same as all of the other ones prior to it. She let out a sigh and exited Seig's room to head for her own, making sure that Seig did not see her crestfallen face.

He honestly didn't want it to be this way but he knew it was for the best.

~*~

Elie plopped herself down onto her twin sized bed located next to her bedroom window. This sucked, she thought to herself has she stared out window. Suddenly a new kind of sadness began to edge in on her, one that always came whenever she was alone.

It was such a clear, sunny day, her favorite kind. A few puffy white clouds dotted the very blue sky. That was the problem. The blue sky was always reminding her that she was not home. It was like a popular kid at school that everyone thought was so beautiful, but when you spend some time alone with that kid, you find out they're a jerk, telling you, 'you don't belong.'

Haru had a lot of problems with bullies just like that, from the first day she met him.

"Sigh, Haru…" She spoke as a blissful smile came to her face.

People were always making jokes, calling them lovebirds. Even her other friends hinted at the subject. Elie knew Seig suspected that the reason she wanted to share their secret with him so bad was because she had a crush on him, but she knew from the bottom of her heart that it wasn't a crush.

She was in love with the boy.

From the moment she wrapped her arms around him the first day they met she loved him. She was so relieved that The T.V. men had done nothing to hurt him and even more relived that they weren't real at all. Sure she would be worried about anyone with her in that situation, but the way he made her feel afterwards was what really hit her. It was as if she could let go of all her troubles and just feel safe. She hadn't spoken a word to anyone since arriving in Indiana, but something about Haru just brought it out of her.

She was too young back then to understand that it was love that she was feeling for her friend, but after a while when it caught on, that love grew deeper and deeper with each passing day.

Elie hugged her pillow as she laid on her bed thinking about the one she truly adored above all other men. A blush came to her face. Maybe it was his eyes. Those soft orbs of purple reminded her of her own world's sky, making her homesickness vanish, at least for a little while.

Sure she liked outer world, watching movies, playing video games, shopping for Heart Kruez clothes, all the things that she could only do here. But it was nothing like her home and she knew the reason she was really here. In the end that was the true reason why Haru and her could never be together.

Seig was right, they just had different destinies. She was an inner worlder and her was an outer worlder. It could never be.

Besides, If Haru even knew about inner world there would be no telling how he'd react to the shocking news.

No, She couldn't risk losing him. Even though it caused her great pain she had to just leave things the way they were, and that meant keeping the most precious person in her heart in the dark.

She let out one more sigh at that thought, completely unaware of the events that would take the decision of keeping Haru unaware out of her hands.

~*~

The next few days went by quick and the next thing Elie knew, she was dressing up for the semi formal that very night.

She would be going with Haru… as friends. Even though she wouldn't tell him her true feelings for him, she still did what she could to be alone with just him as if they were a couple. She played the 'as friends' card very often.

Do you want to go out, as friends? Let's do something, just the two of us tonight, as friends. Ow! Haru I hurt my foot. Will you carry me home in your arms…You know as a friend?

He actually did that last one for her. She didn't expect him to, but when they were 11 years old and she cut up her left foot pretty bad, he carried her two miles all the way home, fussing over her nonstop the whole way. When they finally got to Elie's house, he handed her off to Seig and with the biggest, saddest, round puppy dog eyes he looked up to her guardian and said "She hurt her foot, will you please help her?"

Her foot healed but it left a little scar at the bottom. Haru said the scar looked like it was shaped like a smiley face so he referred to her foot as smiley foot from that day forward. There was her right foot and her smiley foot. Memories were so much fun!

As she put the last few finishing touches on her hair she took one last look in the mirror before deciding she was ready. She didn't put on any make up. She didn't normally ware make up except for special occasions and this was just a semi formal so she only had to get semi dressed up.

"Seig! I'm leaving for the dance!" She called as she headed for the front door.

Seig took a good look at her outfit. She was wearing a low cut dress with spaghetti straps. A lot of cleavage was showing. In fact, a lot of skin in general could be seen., and how she could even walk in those high heeled sandals was a complete mystery.

"I truly wish you wouldn't dress like that, your grace. It's not befitting to a woman of your stature." He said this to her every time the girl went out.

She chuckled. "This is what girls in this world ware, and you're the one who said we had to fit in."

"Sigh." This was just a fight he couldn't win with her. "Very well. Allow me to escort you milady."

"That's alright, it's only a few blocks away."

"But it's getting dark out, milady."

"Haru is going to meet me half way and it's not dark just yet. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get going or I'll be late."

Seig still seemed uneasy, but is she was sure, he'd let her go.

"Honestly. We've been living here for over six years. There's nothing dangerous in this town and anyone that would want to hurt me is in a completely different world right now, oblivious to our location. You worry to much about these things."

And with that Elie was out the door heading to school where she believed she would enjoy the most fun dance of the school year. If only she knew how wrong she was.

~*~

The streets were empty as she strolled down them. Focusing only on where she was going and sometimes stopping to check out the beautiful sunset that was occurring. Elie didn't have a care in the world at the moment.

Then something broke her train of thought. It sounded like footsteps, but they were so faint and she couldn't see anybody around so she shrugged it off assuming that she must have been mistaken. But the sound only got louder and louder as the seconds ticked by.

She couldn't comprehend why but for some reason a strange uneasiness slowly began to creep over her. and as the sound of foot steps became closer and closer she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

Elie decided to pick up the pace a little but when she did, she found that the footsteps were only getting closer and closer. Finally she broke out into a run, and on the verge of hyperventilating, sweat began to drip from her body.

Now she was really getting scared. She ran as fast as her high heeled sandals would allow her to, but the sound of footsteps did not cease, only get louder. She forgot about where she was going, only that she had to get to somewhere safe. Taking a big leap of courage, the frightened girl decided to turn her head around to see who it could possibly be that was chasseing her, causing her to run right into another person.

Elie nearly squealed in fear as the sudden road block seemed to jump out of nowhere. She whipped her head around only to be greeted with the confused and concerned face of her best friend.

"Jeez Elie, watch where your going. What are you running from anyway?" Haru asked, bewildered at his best friend's out of character display of jumpiness.

"Oh. _Huff, huff, _Haru. _Huff, huff_. It's you." The girl panted. "I was afraid it was… someone else." She took one more look behind her to reveal nobody there. Maybe she was imagining it the whole time.

The boy raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you talking about? Nobody's around. Besides there's no one in this town that would hurt you."

Yeah, Haru was right, and she was just telling Seig the same thing before she left. As she looked into Haru's comforting lavender eyes, a feeling of ease washed over her, much like it always did in his presence. She was being silly. She was safe and-

"HARU,LOOK OUT!"

Elie screamed at the top of her lungs when a mysterious figure seemed to materialize out of nowhere, snuck up behind the one she loved, and bashed him over the head with a blunt object, instantly knocking him out cold.

Elie screamed as she rushed to her unconscious friend's side only to be grabbed and pulled away by another mysterious figure. Who or whatever this person was, he was incredibly strong and incredibly huge. He used one hand to cover the girl's entire face, making her unable to see, scream, or even breathe temporarily. His other arm picked the rest of her up off the ground.

Elie flailed in the stranger's grasp, kicking her legs as they tried to find the earth again. Her arms were roughly pulled behind her back and she could feel ropes tying them together tight enough to dig into her skin.

She heard what seemed like a vehicle coming to a stop and a door slide open. Just when she felt like her lungs would explode from the lack of oxygen, thanks to the stranger's large hand, She was roughly tossed into the vehicle, landing on her stomach.

She whipped her head around trying to take in air as she did so. She was lying in a large, empty moving van, with her hands tied up behind her back. She heard her assailants slam the door behind her and get in the front seats to start the van.

As she felt the vehicle move she noticed someone else lying next to her. Haru was also tied up and taken with her, only he was laying on his side unconscious. She gazed at him fearfully, what if he was hurt badly? She could guess what they wanted with her, but why take him? What's going to happen to him? Elie could feel tears coming to her eyes. He was only here because of her.

"There is no need to fear, Grand Duchess. All we ask for is your cooperation and we promise everything will go beautifully." Said the one riding up front. Apparently They and an intercom built into this place so they could communicate.

Elie's eyes went wide. It was just as she feared. She could recognize this man's accent immediately and there is only one way he would know of her title. He was from inner world.

Elie sat up and attempted to act like the Grand Duchess she truly was and be brave in the face of her adversity, but her voice was betraying her and she sounded so much more intimidated than she wanted to.

"What do you want?"

"My dearest. I have already told you, just do as we ask. Soon it will all be beautifully clear."

She gulped. "And what if I were to refuse?"

"Why do you think we brought along your not-so-beautiful friend? Do as you like. Unless you want to see him suffer. Either way the results will still be the same. I stake my beauty on it."

That threat alone sent shivers done the trapped girl's spine. She couldn't do anything to risk her beloved, but if she couldn't think of something, they'd both be dead anyway. Then again what could she do in this situation at all?

She looked around. It all seemed so hopeless. Then she turned back to Haru. He just lay there, looking so peaceful as if he were just sleeping. At that moment she envied his blissful unawareness of the situation. Maybe he was having a nice dream.

Elie did the only thing she could do, make an attempt to make herself feel better. She laid back down. This time using Haru as a pillow, she lied horizontally as he lied vertically, her head gently landing on her love's torso. She snuggled close and began to cry into the unconscious boy as if just shutting her eyes and being able to feel him could help the situation at all.

She sniffled back a few tears as she thought to herself, What's going to happen?

**Oh no cliffhanger! The plot thickens!**

**Now I know what most of you are thinking. "Haru, Elie and Let? Just the three of them? What an odd combination. The truth is the others will show up, probably not for a few more chapters into the future though. You see everyone has an important role to play in this story and it is important to the plot that they don't show up until just the right time, so just hold on tight.**

**Reviews are appreciated. See ya next Friday!**


	4. Mysteries Surround Her End Part

**Mysteries surround her End part **

**Don't own Rave Master, Okay now that that's out of the way let's get this show on the road!**

* * *

Haru moaned as consciousness came flooding back to him slowly. His head was in a great deal of pain.

The mere sound of her best friend's stirring got Elie to bolt up from her lying position, partly because it was probably best to give him some air, and partly because it would be embarrassing if he were to wake up and find her snuggling with him.

"Haru? Haru, wake up." She cooed in an attempt to ease him back into the waking world.

The boy cracked open his groggy purple eyes and gazed painfully into her own worried honey colored orbs. He wished he was still asleep where he wouldn't have to deal with this pounding headache, but when he noticed Elie's wet cheeks his head pain was somewhat forgotten and replaced with concern and confusion.

The next thing that he noticed as he tried to moved his hands to rub his sore head was that he couldn't. Both of his hands were tightly wrenched behind his back and tied up with rope. Eyes going wide, he sat up and whipped his head in multiple directions. Were they in a moving van? An unsettling fear was sinking into the bottom of his stomach.

The boy turned back to his best friend. He had many questions and he was debating in his head which one to ask first and if he should ask them at all. The answer probably wouldn't be a pleasant one.

"What's going on?" His voice was strong and firm but fear could be heard. He had a nervous feeling he knew exactly what it was. Knocked out. Tied up. Thrown into a Van. He Gulped. Please don't let this be what it looks like.

"Haru some men grabbed us." Elie spoke. Fear was laced in her voice too, but it was steady as she tried to remain calm.

Damn! Haru's mind instantly went to all those cases he heard on the news about teenagers being kidnapped, tortured, and killed. No way! No way! This was not Happening!

Elie could see the panic in his wide trembling eyes and knew she had to be brave for him. "Haru, look at me. Listen to me. We are going to be fine. Just do as these men say and neither of us will get hurt. I won't let anything happen to you."

Haru was a little taken back by his best friend's demeanor. It was so unlike her. He'd imagine that she would be more scared than he was but the way she spoke every syllable so sternly and confidently, made her seem almost adult-like. This was nothing like the childish girl that he had come to know.

"W-what do they want with us?" He asked timidly, but most of his fear was quelled by Elie's promise of protection.

Before she could answer him, They both felt the van come to a halt. The slamming of a vehicle door could be heard followed by the uneasy foot steps that were coming closer to them. Both teenagers stared expectantly at the door as it slid open revealing a tall handsome man smiling at them.

The man wore a face that showed no worry. It didn't have a malicious look to it either. It was as if he was assessing the situation as something completely different than what it really was. It was like he was staring a lovely portrait rather than two kidnapped victims.

"What a beautiful question my unsightly friend. But that does not concern you." The man coolly brushed some of his long dark hair out of his face as he spoke. "We are finally far enough away from town, where your vassal resides. It's time for your beautiful transformation to begin my grace."

He held up a small vile and gracefully climbed into the back of the van with them. Elie was the one to voice the question both of the teens were thinking. "What are you talking about?"

"Why Your family legacy milady. The great magic of the Valentine family, passed on from daughter to daughter, each generation, Etherion.

Haru's eyebrows creased with that explanation. He had never heard that word before, but Elie looked like she understood completely. It was as if she figured that that was what they were after, whatever it was.

"It's of no use to you. It is sealed deeply within me. Only my vassal get un-break the seal." She snapped bravely.

"Yes, You had it sealed within you so that no magic detection radar would be able to locate you, but there are other ways of getting it out of you, though they are most unbecoming." The man responded as he advanced toward her with a small vile filled with a purple liquid in hand.

"What are you gonna do with that?" Haru finally found the courage to speak.

"Don't worry about it. Just drink." The man explained as he held the vile out towards Elie.

She shook her head no, fear coming back to her.

"Sigh. I rather dislike doing thins the ugly way, but if you insist my grace." He roughly grabbed Elie's face, pulling hard on her jaw until it opened up just wide enough . He pulled the cork of the vile with his teeth and forced the contents of it down the girl's throat. Elie flailed around as much as she possibly could, pulling back and kicking her legs violently in the air, but the man would not let go. She choked on the liquid that burned her throat, trying to spit it out and scream but it all came out as muffled groan's and sputtering. The man's grip on her was too strong to resist.

The sight of his best friend in such a strangled position, finally managed to kick Haru into high gear. "YOU, KEEP AWAY FROM HER!!!" He screamed in rage

They could do anything they wanted to him, but his friend was off limits. He pushed all fear aside and charged at the kidnapper. His hands were tied but he could still give a sold head but directly into the man's spine. Both male's fell to the floor with that attack, allowing Elie to get free. But it was too late. She had already consumed every last drop.

The kidnapper got up onto his hands and knees shaking with rage. Turning back to Haru he screamed "YOU LITTLE BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU ATTACK ME!"

He got up off the floor and dashed back towards the boy, rage evident in his eyes. Haru tried to get up too, but without the help of his hands he couldn't accomplish this task quick enough. The man gave Haru a swift, hard kick to the stomach., immediately knocking the wind out of him. As he tried to find his breath a few more hard blows to his side left their mark, leaving the poor boy hacking and in so much pain. Suddenly, that headache he had earlier was feeling like bliss compared to the immense pain he was feeling now.

Haru was in trembling and the ground, lying in fetal position, as he cradled his bruised stomach. He didn't look up, but he could hear the man leave, muttering some profane curse words as he slammed the door hard. A few seconds later, the van was moving again.

It took Haru a few minutes but he was finally able to stop panting, as the pain very slowly began to subside, just leaving a few large bruises in its wake. Haru turned his head back to Elie. He just got the crap kicked out of him, that's why he was still lying on the floor, but why hadn't she gotten up?

"E-Elie…Are you alright?" He asked.

She didn't answer right away. Sweat formed on her body. It was getting unbearably hot for her, and yet she was starting to shiver. Something was defiantly wrong with her. Her heart was racing and her lungs were working twice as hard as they normally did to gulp down oxygen. It was as if her insides were panicking, but on the outside her limbs felt lethargic and heavy, it was so difficult to move them.

Haru could see a terrified expression form on her face as it lost all of its color. She was trembling, and breathing heavily, and she looked like she was about to shed tears of fear.

"H-Haru….." She weakly cried out "I don't feel good…."

~*~

It was always nice to have sometime to yourself. That's what Seig always thought. Sure he loved the Grand Duchess. She was almost like family to him, but it was just so nice to be able to just have the house to himself for the night, and the fact that she was out having a good time herself, just made it all the more sweeter.

Seig let out a content sigh as he laid back in his favorite chair. He turned on the reading lamp and proceeded to pick up on the last page he left off in the book that he had been enjoying for a while now.

He was just about to begin a new chapter when all of a sudden a feeling hit him. It started out small and continued to grow little by little with each passing second. His eyes went wide it couldn't be. There was no magic in outer world, except for his own and of coarse-

He stopped in mid thought. Now that he thought about it, the magic he was sensing was all too familiar. But only he could unlock Etherion, as the one who sealed it up in the first place. What was worse was that it felt so far away and getting farther with each passing moment. She shouldn't be that far, her school was only a few blocks away!

He stood up from his chair, dropping his book in the process. His heart was racing with fear. This couldn't be happening. It was impossible!

He mentally smacked himself. He could ask why later! The fact was it was happening! He dashed out the door forgetting everything else. Tapping into speed that he hadn't used in six years, he ran out to his car. In such a panicked state, it took him a little while to find his keys in his pocket, causing him to get extremely frustrated, more so than he already was. Finally he was able to start the car and drive off much faster than the speed limit dictated.

As he zoomed down the street in the direction of the magic he was sensing, he said a little prayer for the girl who he knew was in danger.

"Please be alright!"

~*~

It had been about an hour since Haru and Elie had been abducted, although there was no way for them to know that since, there were no clocks around to tell them the time.

Haru just sat there, leaning against the wall of the van. They had not stopped again since that man force fed Elie that strange concoction that made her so very ill.

There was only one small window in the van, although it was up much too high for the teenager to see out of it sitting down. Sometimes a light would briefly shine through because they had passed a street lamp or another car with their headlights on. The soft hum of the engine was very lulling for Haru. It helped calm him down despite the predicament both he and his best friend were in. He only hoped that it was in any way soothing for Elie too who needed all the help she could get.

Elie was currently lying down, using Haru's lap as a pillow. She was very sick. For the entire hour she had not stopped shaking, which was strange because to Haru she felt very warm. Her usual honey brown eyes were now lifeless looking, as they had glazed over. She just stared off into space as she deeply inhaled and exhaled.

Haru wanted to stroke her hair, or hold her close or do anything to comfort the suffering girl, but because both of them were tied up Allowing her to lay on him was all he could do for her. He knew that she was badly suffering but all he could do was gaze down at her sadly. He tried talking to her but it appeared that she was too out of it to respond. After a while he kept quiet, hoping that maybe she could get some sleep.

"M-momma….Daddy…. Where are you? I can't…. find you….."

Haru looked at Elie closer. She was mumbling something , but she didn't move an inch.

"They took them away…"

"Elie?" Haru asked concerned

She smiled a little drunken grin, but once again did not make any effort to look up at him.

"Haru…. Do you remember in history class…. how messed up feudalism was?… The nobility had it aaalllll wrong…. Every one was sssooooo miserable…"

He thought back to history class. Feudalism took place in the middle ages. No one bathed, everyone was dropping dead way too young, and you'd be tortured to death if you were caught thinking for yourself. Of course every one was miserable, but why was she bringing up school at a time like this?

"Haru…Do you think…I'd be a good noble woman?" She slurred

"Um, yeah Elie, you'd be the best noblewoman ever." He answered still confused

She giggled in response and started humming lullabies. "Hmmm, mmmm ~"

Haru was getting worried. "Elie…Do you know where you are right now?"

She giggled again. "That's Haru's voice. It sounds so nice…mmmm…he's so soft…."

Aw man! Now Elie was having Fever induced hallucinations. What if her fever got so bad, parts of her nervous system melted. That's how Helen Keller became a blind-deaf! This could not get any worse!

Unfortunately the boy had spoken too soon. His hair stood on end as he realized the van was once again coming to a stop. Knowing his hands were completely immobile at the moment, Haru did the only thing he could think of to keep his vulnerable friend safe. He slid her off of his lap just enough to lean over her protectively, as if to keep some wall between her and who he knew was coming for her. She made no conscious sign that she even knew what was happening.

The boy inwardly cursed at himself for being so unhelpful for her, but sadly this was all he could do. As he heard the sound of footsteps getting closer, he glared hatefully at the door , waiting for it to slide open.

When it finally happened the same man from before glared at Haru, clearly in no mood for any more of the teenager's resistance. Silently, the man stepped inside and approached the two kidnapped victims.

"Stay away from her." Haru hissed trying to sound threatening to the man who had already caused so much suffering to the poor girl.

But the dark haired man was not backing down, especially to a tied up kid. Haru swore he saw the man mouth something. What was he trying to say? Freeze? Before Haru could even figure out what he even meant, he found out first hand. The boy could not move a muscle.

Panicking, Haru did everything he could to get his body to move again only to discover his body was refusing to listen.

"I've no patience for you." The kidnapper muttered right before Haru felt another kick to his side from the cruel man's heavy boot, causing him to land a few feet away from his spaced out friend. Although the boy was in much pain from the sudden attack, the numbness to his body was still gripping at him and he could do nothing to get up.

All Haru could do was watch as the man knelt down beside Elie. His eyes went wide when he witnessed the man reach for his pocket and pull out a small devise with a tip at the end.

"NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!! LEAVE ELIE ALONE!!!" The boy screamed hysterically in both rage and panic as the man brought the point up to the side of the girl's head.

He only calmed down slightly and just enough to stop yelling when he figured out what the device was. It was the kind of thermometer that doctors use for a check up. He was putting it inside Elie's ear to check her temperature. It would not hurt her, not that she was in the right mindset to understand what hurting was. She just moaned quietly as he hair was pushed back for the device to momentarily reach her ear.

When he was finished Elies limp head rolled to the other side and the man studied the device carefully. Haru held his breath in anticipation. He was curious himself to find out the extent of the girl's condition.

"Hey Berial! I think we've got a problem!" The kidnapper yelled out for his accomplice to hear, completely ignoring the two tied up kids. "Her body is rejecting the potion we gave her! She has a 104 degree fever!"

Haru's blood ran cold at that sentence. His mind went blank about everything else in the world except that statement. This can't be happening! It can't really be this bad! A tear slid down his cheek and he didn't even process it.

"Crap. Boss is gonna kill us if we don't bring her back alive. You had to give it to her didn't you?! The diver yelled back.

"Well he would have killed us if we couldn't unlock Etherion from her body and that was the only way we could, and getting killed is very bad for my skin!" he yelled back to him.

"Well, can't she just hang on until we get to the portal back to inner world? We can find somebody to treat her there, cause I'm not stopping for some outer world hospital for the bitch!"

They were arguing about what to do with Elie like it wasn't even an important matter. She could die, and they acted like that would just be a mere inconvenience! This was his best friend, thought Haru. He was so enraged with the treatment of his very dear best friend that if his blood really could boil from simple fury, it would have burned through the ropes that bonded his clenched fists.

The kidnapper stood up. "This entire ugly operation is so annoying." He lightly kicked the dazed girl.

That was it! All of the fear that Haru was feeling was now entirely replaced by furry. He forgot what these men would or could do to him. That wasn't important any more!

The freeze that had him imprisoned had worn off and he charged at the dark haired man with all of the rage that was inside of him. This time Haru had attacked him with such force, that it sent the man flying across the van and against the sliding door. The impact caused the door to open unexpectedly and he fell out, landing a few yards away on his head.

Such a blow would have killed a normal man, or at least knocked him out, but This man was far from normal. He was bleeding pretty severely however. A line of blood trickled down his face, Blinding him in one eye. As he slowly got up and put one hand up to his wounded skull, He glared at Haru.

This glare was much more vicious and monstrous than his last. Anyone who met his eyes knew instantly of the murderous intent within them. However Haru gave him one to match, showing that he was not afraid and was not here to mess around, and as he hopped out of the van himself, he was going to prove that he was ready for anything this man had to throw at him.

Momentarily the boy had lost that feeling of confidence when the kidnapper did something neither Haru, nor anybody else would have expected. A clear, icy blade materialized in the man's other hand. How was that possible?

"It isn't worth it keeping you alive…" The kidnapper seethed.

He came at Haru With full force and the intent to kill. The teenage boy's shock wore off just in time for instincts to kick in. He leaned forward and ducked. It was his luckiest move all night. The ice sword just barely missed him and instead the weapon severed the ropes just enough for Haru to pull them apart. He rolled forward and by the time he landed, his hands were free making it a much more fair fight.

Not Fair enough however. The man still had a weapon so Haru would have to rely on all of his instincts and anything he had ever known about fighting to save them. And to think his sister said he was wasting his life watching all those action movies.

The boy put his hands up in a fighting stance, his feet were ready to move at a seconds notice. The kidnapper charged forward again and Haru jumped out of range. Again and again the man came at Haru and every time he missed. Adrenalin was causing The teenager to move much faster than normal., and frustration was making the kidnapper get sloppy.

The final time The man came at him, Haru quickly dodged to the left and gave him a swift elbow to the side, making the man yell out in in pain.

"AAARRRGGGG!!!!" He cried out in his frustration. "You will not move anymore!!!"

He put his free hand up, confusing Haru with the gesture. It only took him a second to figure it out. The boy was frozen once again.

His eyes went wide and his breath was lost in his throat as his body failed to do as he commanded. He stared terrifyingly at the one he was fighting . He slowly advanced toward Haru. Now that he was sure he would win, his temper began to cool off, but the maliciously, evil look still clearly shone brightly in his eyes. Haru's attempts to move became more desperate, as his opponent advanced. Oh God, He thought. He'll kill me.

Meanwhile still in the van, Elie laid in her state of semi-conciousness. Or was she still unaware of her surroundings? Some would say that it was her love's need for her or the promise that she wouldn't let him be hurt that did the trick. But whatever you want to call it, at that very moment she was comeing back to reality.

"Ha…Haru?" She whispered as she gazed lazily at the fight.

It was Haru! He was in trouble! Her heart skipped a beat as she realized what she was seeing. No! That man was going to kill him! She shook her head to get rid of the remaining cobwebs in her mind.

"No…No…" She whispered as she sat up. She had to do something to save him, but she wouldn't get to him in time.

"NOOOOO!!!!!" She was suddenly enveloped in a blinding white light. Wind that seemed to come out of no where blew all around her, like a force of nature Her entire body glowed miraculously and what ever this light was, it dissolved the ropes binding her hands.

The kidnapper stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of the girl, and Haru also was completely taken back by the unprecedented phenomenon.

Suddenly Elie thrusted her hand forward, aiming at the dangerous man attacking her friend and a beam shot out, plowing right through him. Haru closed his eyes from the blinding light and when he opened them, not only was he free from the freezing power, but the kidnapper was laying on the ground. He wasn't dead, you could tell from his breathing, but he was definitely unconscious and his entire body was badly burnt.

"Ahh….." Came a week cry from behind Haru. He turned around to see Elie kneeling in the van, looking weak enough to faint, and he ran towards her, forgetting all about the man's hideous burns.

"Elie, are you alright?" He asked, failing to keep the worried tone out of his voice.

He grabbed her soft face gently, gesturing her to look at him. Elie felt weak enough to pass out, but upon looking into her loved one's beautiful eyes a new strength over came her giving her just enough energy to stay awake and smile at him. That smile was all he needed for relief to wash over him.

They stayed just like that for a few more seconds until they felt the van raddled and the sound of the door slamming. They had momentary forgotten, the dark haired kidnapper had not acted alone, and the van's driver was probably coming for them to finish what his accomplice had failed to do.

Haru felt ready. Even as he felt the new threat's presence grow closer with each passing step. If he could take out one kidnapper, than he could certainly deal with one more. Boy, was he wrong.

The boy turned to glare at the man, when he froze in horror at the sight of him. It was not a man at all. It was a monster. The creature had blue plated skin and two large horns coming out each side of his head, like the devil. It could have very well have been the devil with that insane, evil, look on its face. Large claws sprouted on both of its enormous hands. It looked as though it stood about 13 feet tall!

Elie weakly stared at the beast with fear, but Haru gave a look of pure terror. "He was once again frozen in his tracks, but this time, it was by fear. His mind went blank of everything else but this monster, including Elie. Every instinct inside him screamed run away. He would have gladly done so too if body would just stop shaking long enough.

"Well, well, well. So you guys beat Iulius. Not bad, runts." The monster spoke in a deep scratchy voice that caused Haru to cower more. "You want to see how you'd fair against me?" It smirked twistedly.

As the monster reached his enormous hand down words the teenagers, Haru's eyes went as wide as saucers. He tried to scream but his breath was caught in his throat. He tried to run away from the beast but his body was in too much shock to respond. I'm dead! His mind screamed.

At that very moment light flashed and a loud blast was heard. The beast let out a pained squeal as it fell to its side, unconscious. Haru was startled out of his thoughts. Only a few yards away, Sieg stood, his hand out stretched, pointing in they're direction. He had taken the monster out.

A serious expression shown on his face. "Are either of you hurt?" He asked.

"Seig…" Was Elie's only reply as she looked at her guardian with grateful and tired eyes.

Haru was still trying to catch his breath.

~*~

The drive back to Haru's house was completely silent. Not even the radio played in the background.

Seig glanced in the rearview mirror to get a good look at the two in the back. Even though they were sitting in the seat next to each other, on some level, they couldn't have been further away.

Elie sat on the right side with her head leaned up against the window. She looked extremely exhausted, but at least her fever was down considerably, now that her body wasn't at war with the seal on Etherion. Unfortunately, that wasn't as good of news as it sounded. Seig would have to fix that seal again. Under all of the exhaustion, you could see sadness play on her features as well.

Haru was in a different state of emotional distress completely. Haru, on the left side, looked down at his hands that were folded on his lap. He leaned forward in his seat, with the most troubled expression painting his features. It was to be expected. Now that everything had quieted down and he had a moment to assess what had happened tonight, there was no doubt his head was swimming with questions. Seig was more than a little grateful that he hadn't asked them yet. He wasn't ready for that, and now that the people He and Elie were running from finally caught up with them, he had bigger things to worry about.

There was something else playing his features however. Something akin to shame and fear. The fear was to be expected after the ordeal he just went through but what did the boy have to be ashamed of. Oh well it didn't matter. They had arrived at his house now any way.

Seig pulled the car right up to the café and slowly Haru got out. As Seig's car began to drive away, Haru's eyes met with Elie's who gazed sadly at the boy through the car window. Haru quickly pulled his eyes away. The sight of the girls tired, sad brown orbs only caused his shame to grow. Tonight she was in danger and he just stood there like a scared little brat. Worse, he had actually considered running away without her. How could he sink so low when she needed him most. If Seig hadn't shown up when he did, The teenage boy didn't want to think about what would have happened.

As he entered The empty restaurant, He noticed his older sister wiping down the counter. She looked up to greet him. "Hey, little brother. I'm just finishing up closing. How was the dance?"

Haru said nothing. He just shuffled up to the counter sadly, not yet making eye contact with his sister.

"What's a matter? It's almost 10:30. I would have thought coming home later than expected would mean that you had a great time. You and Elie have a fight?" It was then she noticed his depressing demeanor. In fact, he seemed down right devastated.

"Haru?" she was getting concerned.

"C-Cattleya…" Now Haru was beginning to cry. He put his head down on the counter as he quietly sobbed., completely throwing his sister for a loop. Haru never cried unless it was for something truly important.

"W-what in the world happened?" She asked now fully worried.

She took the words right out of his mouth.

* * *

**I want to say a few things. 1. I don't have much experience with fight scenes.**

**2. I know Haru seems out of character, but don't worry, this is an AU so it's understandable that he isn't completely himself, but he'll grow. You'll see.**

**3. This is the end of the first story arch. This does not mean the story is over, this means come next chapter the title will not be "Mysteries surround her". You see this story is so long that I'm breaking it up into story arches. Some will be a few chapters long, others will be one chapter long. Even I don't know exactly. I've planned this story out, but not to a T. So lets find out together.**

**Next chapter: "Halfway Point of No Turning Back." **

**REVIEW!!!!! **


	5. Halfway Point of No Turning Back Part 1

**New story arc! Oh yeah and I still don't own Rave master…..Boo hoo…**

**Half way point of no turning back Part 1**

* * *

"That's quite a story." Let said as he took a bite of his salad.

It was already lunch time on a Monday afternoon. Haru and Let were sitting together and Haru was just finishing the story of what happened last Saturday, the night they were abducted by some freak who could freeze people and a giant blue demon. Haru had been having nightmares about that night for the past two days in a row. He knew he had to talk about it with a friend and since Elie wasn't there it had to be Let.

"But you don't believe me…." Haru scoffed bitterly. Thanks to these nightmares he was getting an insufficient amount of sleep, turning him into a very crabby person. He was in no mood to defend what he was saying even to his friend.

"You lost me at the magic ice sword materializing out of thin air. It is a good story though. You should write fantasy novels."

Haru stood up and slammed his fists on the lunch table. "IF THIS WERE JUST A MADE UP STORY, WHY WOULD I MAKE MYSELF A WUSS AT THE END AND NOT BE THE ONE WHO SAVES ELIE?!"

The cafeteria went dead silent and everyone's gaze turned to Haru's outburst. Normally the teenage boy would have gotten very embarrassed by actions like this, but today it didn't matter to him. Not after last weekend.

Let stared up at his young friend with wide eyes. He wasn't yet ready to believe his story, but he did believe that Haru was taking it seriously, and if it was important to his friend, it was important to him, so he wouldn't make anymore jokes about it.

"How's Elie doing?" Let asked trying to get Haru to calm down not breaking eye contact with his friend for even a second.

It worked. Haru's angry demeanor softened, and slowly he slid back into his chair. By this time, most of the students had lost interest in the teenager's unexpected outburst.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to her since Saturday night. He mumbled. Still feeling ashamed over his lack of action when she needed him, he had yet to find the courage to face her, and Elie wasn't in school today. Haru was both a little happy for this, because he knew seeing her would be too awkward, and a little worried. Elie wasn't the type of girl to just skip school without a good excuse.

"Well why not? It's not like you to avoid her, especially when she isn't in school. You should go to her house right after the end of the school day and see how she's doing." Let advised.

"I can't. If I see her, I won't be able to stop myself from asking a million questions. Who were those men? _What_ were they? Why did they go after her? How were they able to do those things? What was that light she-"

"yes, yes. I get the point." Let cut him off.

"Sigh. Not that I deserve to get any answers anyway. For all I know, she could be lying in bed still sic from that sicko's potion because I couldn't protect her. She must think I'm dirt." Haru spat bitterly.

"So apologize. You've been friends for too long to just let something so stupid as your own self pity end it now. Just get her a gift. Something that says I'm sorry, or get well soon. She'll accept it and that will break the ice and you can get on with finding your answers." said Let

"A gift? Like what/"

"Does she like jewelry?"

I don't have the cash you do, Mr. 'my dad sent me to a fancy boarding school'." Haru snapped back.

"Then how about flowers? Flowers are good for any occasion."

"Maybe…" Haru thought it over. Let was right. He couldn't avoid Elie forever. Plus underneath it all, he just plain wanted to see his best friend. Wasn't that what was most important?

"Would you mind driving me after school, Let?"

Meanwhile in a dark castle deep in an inner world forest, lives a sinister man with dark ambitions.

"Sir I am sorry to report that Berial and Iulius were unsuccessful in capturing the Grand Duchess." A solder reported. He trembled as he waited for the dark man's reply. Anxiously hoping he would not be punished for being the bearer of bad news.

The dark man just sat on his lavish throne surrounded by curtains, making it impossible to see his face or read his expression. He could be mowing over how to maim the soldier, or worse. It was imposible to tell. He just sat completely still and kept silent. He was processing the soldier's information.

"Uh, Er, but it's not all bad news!" The soldier stuttered as he tried desperately to save himself. "At least they were able to unseal her power so tracking her at the moment should be-"

"Enough!" The dark man shouted in a deep heart wrenching tone as he stood up, Scaring the soldier out of his wits.

As the Dark man ascended his throne, the soldier shut his eyes out of fear. He could hear his boss's foot steps approaching him and he held his breath. Here comes the punishment!

But instead the sinister man just walked right past him, paying him no mind. The soldier let out a giant sigh of relief once the realization that he would be spared washed over every part of his senses.

The dark man chuckled an evil laugh as he walked out his chamber door. "I suppose if you want something done right, you must do it yourself….."

Elie laid curled up on her bed. Normally she would be staring out the window at a time like this, but today the shades were pulled down and Seig had left implicit instructions to keep them that way so no one would look in. For the pat two days she stayed inside her house, and away from any open windows. Any other time, she would have complained to her guardian that he was being too strict, but after what happened on Saturday night, she understood completely.

Currently, Seig was out making travel arrangements. They would be moving as soon as possible, probably leavening this country. Not only that but soon Seig would seal up Elie's magic again so that it would be harder for anybody to track them via magic radar. Seig was allowed to keep his magic, but that was only because his was too small to be felt from a county away. Elie's magic was huge and any radar could pick up the trail. Even oceans away. It was such a shame. She truly loved having magic, she didn't want it to be locked up inside her again.

A lone tear slipped down her face, but she made no effort to wipe it away. For the first time in two days she had been left alone in her house. She didn't have to be strong for anyone right now. Why shouldn't she cry? She always figured that the Symphonian government would catch these guys before they would find her, but the nightmare that she lived through last Saturday reminded her how real the danger was.

But she was not the only one who experienced the horrors of that night. Poor Haru. He must be so confused and angry with her right now. It was her fault for dragging him into this. He must hate her, and even if he didn't she would never see him again anyway. She was moving and Haru would probably be relieved to see someone who caused him so much trouble go.

She'd most likely have to change her name, her looks, and her entire image this time just to be safe. Maybe the next place she lived in would be a horrible dump, where the people would be mean to her.

She sniffed back a few tears. It was too soon. She didn't want to say good bye to Haru forever.

"**KNOCK! KNOCK!"**

The girl shot up as she heard the startling noise.

"**KNOCK! KNOCK!"**

Somebody was at the front door.

The girl sat on her bed for a moment for a moment, completely silent and unmoving as if the person at the front door would see where she was. She was all alone in the house and Seig told her not to open the door for anyone but him. "Maybe they'll just go away."

"**KNOCK! KNOCK!"**

"Or maybe not." Elie mulled it over for another moment when she came to the decision that she would just take a peek to see who it was. After all, she still had her magic to aid her, and Seig would sense if she was using it to defend herself and he'd coming running home. Between that, there was nothing to be too worried about. Besides, if it was a real bad guy, why would he be so polite as to just knock on the door? Wouldn't he just barge in?

Cautiously, Elie tiptoed over to the front door and took a small glance out the door's peek hole. She didn't see anyone there. She unlocked the door and cracked it just a little. It was true. The front steps were completely void of all human life.

Then something else caught her eye. On the door step, lay a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Who ever was just there must have left it.

Elie reached her hand out and pulled the flowers into her home without stepping foot outside, then she quickly looked the door up again behind her, just as it was before.

She inspected the bouquet closely. She was sure she had seen these flowers from somewhere before, probably from a picture in a book? Who would just leave them on her doorstep? Then she noticed among the stems there was a small card. She took it out of the bouquet and read its contents.

'_Dear Elie Valentine._

_We will talk very soon._

_Until then, I hope this sweet woman_

_Will enjoy these sweet smelling flowers._

_They are a real knock out, just like you ._

_With love,_

_A friend.'_

Elie held her breath in shock. Could it be that these flowers were from Haru? Who else would leave them?

A wide grin spread out on the girl's face. "He gave me flowers?! He doesn't hate me! Gasp! He said 'with love ', and you don't give a person flowers for just any occasion! He loves me! This is the best thing ever!"

Elie couldn't help her giddiness, she felt as if she was floating on air! She took a big whiff of her lovely flowers and began spinning around the foyer in happiness. At that moment, all of her problems just seemed to wash away. She didn't think about moving, she didn't think about the kidnapping, she didn't even care about the wave of dizziness that seemed to just hit her.

That is until she stopped spinning. She held her head for a moment, trying to clear her double vision, before deciding maybe she should head back to her room to sit down. The flowers would look best in there anyway, but by the time she got there, she practically collapsed onto her bed. A simple walk to her room couldn't have worn her out this badly, but strangely she felt extremely tired.

"That's strange… Wasn't I just jumping for joy a minute a go for…for….Wait, why…" She trailed off. Both her vision and mind were beginning to blur and a weakness was slowly taking her over. She didn't even process the fact that she was now laying on her bed and most of her flowers had fallen out of the bouquet and were sprawled out all over her. All she could contemplate was the soothing, cloying fragrance of flowers that were reaching her nostrils and that was good enough for her.

If she wasn't so out of it, she would have heard the window smash in the room next to her. She would have heard the sound her of her bedroom door opening and foot steps drawing closer. She would have cared that there was now a man standing over her.

But all she could see was a fuzzy outline of a man wearing what seemed to be a doctor's mask and something large strapped to his back. Her droopy eyes stared blurrily at this person. Her brain couldn't conceive the danger she was in or even who this man was. Her mind was practically mush.

She blinked at him for a few seconds before she was finally able to get something out. "Haru…Got me flowers…." She slurred.

The man frowned. The sleep pollen flowers had not finished its job. She was only in a half state of unconsciousness. He picked up one of the flowers and brought it up to the dazed girl's nose. The petals tickled her nostrils and a smiled played on her features before her eyes gently flutter shut.

He had to make sure she was truly out cold. The man picked up her left wrist, her hand completely limp, and hovered it in the air just above her bed. Then he dropped it. Her hand make a very soft thud as it landed next to her face, but the girl didn't stir even the slightest. She was out like a light.

The man smiled under his doctor's mask. "Perfect…."

Sieg let out a sigh as he drove down the road. He was exhausted. These past few days were very stressful. He had not let the Grand Duchess leave the house since Saturday night, and he had stayed locked up with her. He was too afraid that someone else would try to steal her away again, so he had stayed up, getting maybe four hours of sleep these past 48 hours combined. This was the first time he left the house, and it was only for 20 minutes but he still wanted to get back to her as soon as possible.

It would probably be a week, maybe two to get all of their arrangements set up. He had to find a new place for them to live and it had to be as far away as possible. It took them six years for those people to find her and he had to do an even better job at finding a new hiding place for them this time.

Seig felt so bad for Elie. After all that she has gone through in the past, why does this have to happen to her? He knew she had grown particularly fond of this place and the people who lived here. To make her leave to another unknown place just wasn't fair. And what's worse is that until her magic is sealed up again and they were off in their next new home he had to lock her up indoors unable to let her have any contact with the outside world. He felt like a monster who locked a princess in a tower.

Seig turned the car steering wheel as he entered his familiar street. "Do not worry Grand Duchess. One day you will be free." He spoke to himself sullenly.

As he drove up to his driveway, Seig tensed up. He saw another car already parked in his spot. His mind went into action. He was not expecting visitors, There shouldn't be anyone here. He went on guard, ready to expect anything as he parked his car on the other side of the driveway.

He slammed the car door shut and marched angrily to the front door of his house, Ready to demand who would be so bold as to-

His question was answered as another man stepped out of the house. Seig gasped in shock as the thing he was fearing most was happening before his eyes! was that this man was carrying a limp, unconscious Elie in his arms!

Seig's shock transformed into unhinged rage at the sight of the Grand Duchess being touched by this fiend. How dare he?!

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!!!!" Seig screamed at the top of his lungs as he charged at the kidnapper. No one was taking her again!

The kidnapper looked up from Elie to the man now charging at him. At first he was surprised to see him. He thought the man would be out longer than that. Oh well. His surprised expression melted into a mischievous smirk. He was ready.

The kidnapper acted too fast for Seig. He dropped Elie's legs, leaving only her upper body in his arms. Her feet softly hit the ground and her head rolled onto his shoulder, but she still didn't stir. He brought his free hand up, reached over his back, and pulled out a giant sword from its hilt. In one swift motion the man brought the sword down hard upon the ground.

It didn't hit Seig. He was still a few too many feet away for it to reach him, but a black licght came out of the sword and hit him perfectly dead on. It was a if a small gust of wind made by the weapon materialized and did the damage that the sword was suppose to do.

"**GYAAAAA!!!!"**

Seig let out a cry of anguish as a giant slash appeared on his abdomen. Blood spewed from the gash as Seig fell to the ground. His face contorted to an agonizing expression. It was clear he was in no shape to be getting up.

In another solid motion the kidnapper turned around and performed the same attack on the house. It crumbled almost instantly. If that attack had been that powerful all along, then it was truly a miracle that Seig wasn't dead.

Taking a quick break from his destruction, the kidnapper dragged the girl in his arms to his car. He opened the door and gently placed the slumbering girl in the passenger seat. Her face was so peaceful as she slept unaware to the atrocities that were being done to both her house and guardian.

He put her seat belt on for her and shut the car door. He was about to get in the car himself, when he took one last look at his handy work. "Might as well finish the Job." He said to himself as he turned backed to the disaster zone with the intention of …

Well some things are better left un-described….

Immediately after school, Haru and Let threw their back packs into the backseat of Let's sedan and took off for Elie's house . In the end, Haru decided to opt out of buying anything for Elie. The knew that if he didn't go see he as soon as possible, he'd just put the matter off, until it was too late to see her and he had to obey his curfew or else he'd hear from Cattleya.

Haru mentally practiced in his head what he was going to say to the girl, but every time he got any where, he'd stop himself and think 'now that's just stupid, why would I say that?'

Eventually the teenage by just decided to wing it. Most people would say that was crazy, but Haru honestly spoke best from his heart, so he'd just go with that.

As they rounded the corner to Elie's street Haru inhaled deeply. It was now or never. Time to face his best friend. But at the sight of Elie's house both Let and Haru's eyes went wide and they forgot to breath.

Elie's house stuck out like a sore thumb on the clean and peaceful street, or rather what was left of it did. There was nothing left but a large pile of rubble, with broken boards and piece's of the roof sticking out of it. The entire place was surrounded by police cars, a few ambulances, and the people who worked in them. The entire disaster zone was taped off by bright yellow 'do not cross' police line.

Haru unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car just as it was coming to a halt. His large, fearful, eyes never left the wreak as he made a dash for it. "Oh God please…" He thought desperately.

Haru ran right through the yellow tape and past the police officers, not making eye contact with any of them. So it wasn't difficult for one of the cops to catch him. "Whoa, kiddo. I'm gonna need ya at step back a bit." The officer spoke.

Still Haru would not tare his gaze away from the broken house, even as he spoke. "M-my friend lives here. W-where is sh-she? I-is she…?" Fear shone evident in his voice.

"We didn't find any girl in that there wreckage, but uh were still lookin. Now if you'd let us do ur jobs-" The cop spoke as he attempted and failed to guide Haru away.

"**SHE'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE WORLD TO ME!!! WHERE IS SHE?!!!!" **Haru was getting frantic as he squirmed away from the officer.

"I told ya kid, we ain't seen no girl. Alls we found was this guy on the front lawn-" Haru didn't stay to listen to the rest of what the officer had to say. He heard all he knew he would get out of him and he refused to wait. That person the cop mentioned on the lawn must be Seig. He would have an explanation.

The frightened boy ran all over the disaster zone, brushing past every cop and EMT in his way. Occasionally he heard someone call out to him, telling him to watch where he was going and that he shouldn't be here, but he wasn't paying any attention to them. What was most important was finding Seig.

To his horror, Haru had found him next to an ambulance, laying down on a cot. Clearly he was in bad shape. Bruises littered every inch of his swollen body, along with deep gashes and cuts. Some were no more shallow than a cat scratch, most were so deep, you could see right into the muscle, or at least you would if there wasn't so much blood in the way. Seig was so bloody it soaked his cot, and his skin appeared to have been dyed red. It was truly awful. How was he even still alive?

Let, who had got there first, had been by Seig's side since Haru had shown up, clearly, by his worried expression, he was thinking the same thing as Haru. "How could this have happened?"

"S-Seig." Haru spoke. It was so difficult to see the man in this condition. He was able to take out a giant demon in two seconds, he was stronger that anybody! Who could have done this to him? "They c-cant't find Elie….Sniff….Was she….Is she okay? Who did this?" Haru pleaded desperately

Let looked at his friend with sorrowful eyes. Haru was doing his best not to cry, but a tear broke free and slid down his cheek. "H-Haru…He can't answer. We should-"

"Gr-…Grand Duchess…" Came a soft, yet broken reply.

Both boys looked down and were shocked and amazed to see that Seig's eyes were just barely cracked open. Did he just speak?

"You should …Refer to her as… Grand Duchess…" He certainly did that time.

"What do you mean?" Haru asked still sniffling back a few tears.

"Lady Elie Valentine…governs over the entire state of New Elie…She is the matriarch… of the Valentine family…. This title was given to her grandmother… Resha by the king of Symphonia himself…. She deserves to be addressed in a respectful manor…. That is her title…" Seig's voice was full of pain as he whispered.

"Haru…He is clearly out of it. We shouldn't bother him." Let urged.

Haru thought it over for a bit until his decision was made for him. "Hey you kids, get away from him!" Two paramedics quickly folded up Seig's cot and loaded him into the ambulance, Without regarding the two boys any further, they drove off.

Let and Haru stood there and watched the ambulance drive off in a hurry until the loud siren and flashing red lights faded away.

Haru's devastated face melded into one of determination. "Let's follow after them."

It was about four hours of sitting around in the hospital's waiting and a lot of lying and convincing towards the nurses that finally allowed Let and Haru to see Seig.

When they walked into his room they could see one arm in a cast, the other in a sling, his head bandaged up, his face in a breathing mask, an IV drip, and several other injuries they could not see from under the bed covers. Only a few of the minor bruises were not covered. He still looked to be in bad shape, but at least he seemed peaceful now.

Slowly, with much effort, the injured man opened his swollen, black, eyes. He peered all round the room until his gaze fell on the two teenage boys standing over him. For a moment the room was silent, until Seig steadily moved his trembling hand up to his face and reached for the mask.

Let intervened "Um, I don't think you should being doing-"

"Where…is…she…?" The injured man spoke in a raspy, hurt voice.

Haru knew exactly who he was talking about, and he was a little relieved. "If you don't know then it probably means she wasn't in the house when it collapsed. She's safe."

Seig's eyes however filled with fear. "N-no…She was taken…" He muttered.

"Who took her?!" Let asked worriedly. Haru didn't need to ask. He knew this was the work of those freaks who almost killed her last Saturday or at least some body who worked with them.

"Seig…" Said Haru with the most determined look on his face. "Who are these people? They're not normal." The tone in his voice demanded an answer.

The injured man tried to cover it up. "I don't know what you're talking about. Stay out of this, you don't know-"

"You called her Grand Duchess!" Haru snapped.

"I was out of my mind with blood loss…"

"I WAS THERE! I SAW THEM DO THOSE THINGS! FREEZEING PEOPLE, BLUE DEMONS, AND NOW YOUR HOUSE GETS BURNED DOWN, YOU CAN'T HIDE THIS ANYMORE!!!" Haru screamed and ranted at the bandaged man until Let calmed him down, reminding him that a nurse could come in at any time and kick them out.

Haru's voice lowered to a venomous whisper. "I've known something was up since I first met her. If you want me to promise to keep it between us, consider my mouth shut, but now Elie's in danger, neither of us can ignore the elephant in the room anymore. Tell me. What is her secret."

Seig tore his eyes away from Haru's. The boy was right. He was backed into a corner and too desperate to be choosey. It's not like he could do anything from where he was right now anyway.

The man took a deep breath and began. "You had better sit down…. This is a long unbelievable story…."

The teenagers said nothing and pulled up a plastic chair for each of them that lay in the corners of the room.

"First, you both must promise that what you are about to hear must never leave this room."

They nodded.

Sieg took one more deep breath before he continued. "What do either of you know about feudalism?"

* * *

**Be honest, who's gonna look the word feudalism up in the dictionary and spoil it?**

**You know I've noticed that I've already finished a story arch and only one person has been reviewing this whole time. For shame! At least you're a good friend E x p e r a m e n t 3173! As for the rest of you, don't you understand how much I'd love feedback! I'm putting everything I've got into this story! SPEAK UP!**

**I suppose the only thing I can do is just keep going on with the story and hope I can wow you enough to want to review.**

**You all can start by reviewing for this chapter, if not than I'll just wait for next Friday.**


	6. Halfway Point of No Turning Back Part 2

**Halfway Point of No Turning Back Part 2**

**You should know by now, but just in case you didn't…. I don't own Rave Master.**

* * *

"Feudalism?" Haru asked confused. He remembered Elie talking about that when they were captured but he thought it was just Hallucinogenic ramble. "I don't know much. What does that have to do with anything?"

Let gave his friend a perplexed look. "Aren't you currently learning that in your history class?"

"Um, Yeah… I'm not getting a good grade in that class…." He admitted embarrassedly.

Seig filled him in. "It's a form of monarchy. A king or queen rules over the land, but the land is too big for one person to control themselves, so they split the land into states, much like the United States. The king appoints a nobleman and his family to govern over a state. You know, A duke, a duchess, an earl, etc. In a way, a noble is like a king or queen of their own mini kingdom. They are allowed to govern their state anyway they want as long as it is okay by the king."

"Well thanks for the history lesson, but I still don't see what that has to do with Elie." Haru was getting slightly impatient. What was Seig getting at?

The injured man down looked at his hands as he tried to find the right words to explain. "Elie is….Elie is…. A noble woman in her home country…. She rules over the state of New Elie, in which she was named after…."

Let and Haru stared at the man confused and speechless. They were expecting him to say 'just kidding' at any point, but it wasn't long until they realized he wasn't. After a few seconds Let voiced what both he and Haru wanted to say. "Um…Pardon Me? Would you mind running that by us again?"

Seig took another deep breath and spoke with a voice much more confident this time. "Elie is the Grand Duchess of New Elie, A Symphonian state. It is a relatively new state that was just added to the union about 50 yeas ago when Symphonia took that land from an enemy county whom we beat in a war. The Valentine family has been running it ever since. Elie inherited her title when her parents passed away"

Let gave him an incredulous look. "Right. Okay. Seig, I think your morphine is a little too high."

"I believe him."

Both Let and Seig turned to Haru and stared at him wide eyed, completely taken back by his willingness to believe so easily. Even Seig knew how crazy he must have sounded to these outer worlders, and he was telling the truth.

"Haru." Let said to his friend. "You can't be serious."

"Dude, I saw Elie glow and shoot an energy blast at a guy like a freaking Super Sayian. I'll believe anything about her now. Heck, you could tell me she was the alien queen of Narnia, here to find her long lost unicorn twin brother, and I would have totally bought that!" The boy exclaimed.

"Well fine. Let's just say I believe this. Why is Elie here and not running New Elie in Simpsonio, or what ever." Let did bring up a good point.

Seig looked down ashamed again, and all of a sudden it hit Haru. Everything just seemed to make sense now. Her secrecy, The kidnapping , her unwillingness to speak of her deceased parents. All of the puzzle pieces found their place.

It was Sieg who said it out loud. "Elie can't go home. She has been under witness protection, ever since her parents were murdered…"

Let and Haru were stunned into silence, although in the back of Haru's mind a little voice whispered sadly; I was hoping I was wrong…

Seig continued. "As I mentioned before, The Valentine family holds a lot of power in their home country. Even surrounding nations have heard of them. The State of New Elie originally was under enemy control. No one ever dreamed that after 50 years that they would try to steel it back."

"And they'll hurt Elie in order to do this?" Haru asked fearfully.

Seig stared at the teenage boy who asked him that question and saw the concern clearly in his eyes. Might as well tell him the whole story. The man sighed once more and began his tale.

"Six years ago….."

_Flash back to six years ago_

It had been two nights ago that Seig and the newly appointed Grand Duchess Elie Valentine fled their home in New Elie. After two restless nights of non-stop full speed carriage ridding, they had finally made it to their destination. It was another castle, not just any castle however, but the largest castle in the entire country of Symphonia. Housing over 200 house workers, 50 vassals, and his royal highness himself, there was still plenty of room to spare. It was clearly the jewel of the capitol, sitting smack dab in the large city, for everyone to marvel at it.

It was here that Elie and Seig would meet the man they needed to consult with to make their next move.

As the two of them strolled down the enormous, polished marble hallways, the man stared down at his young Grand Duchess. The girl shuffled her feet tirelessly as she walked and her eyes drooped to a dull listless stare, yet she continued her stride with her head held high as if the poor child wanted hide her exhausted state of being.

Poor Elie had not spoken a word, slept, or ate much of anything the whole ride there. She had dozed off for about 30 minutes at one point, but she quickly woke up screaming, drenched in sweat from a terrible nightmare. She had refused to sleep since.

Obviously, she was still suffering from the shock of losing her parents and having to up and leave her home so quickly. She now had enormous responsibility as the Grand Duchess and she was still only a little girl. Once again the urge for Seig to comfort her in some way arose and was hastily shoved aside. He had responsibilities as well and it was not his place to put his hand on her head, hug her or treat her like a frightened child in any way.

Instead he averted his gaze forward again. The time to meet the man they came all this way to see was finally here.

As Seig pushed the tall heavy doors open his eyes fell upon the elderly man standing in the center of the room. However, this was not the man he was expecting.

"Haja?" Seig said genuinely wide eyed and surprised.

Haja was the oldest, and most powerful vassal working for the Valentine family. He was an old man and had been a New Elie vassal for almost 20 years. When Seig first became a vassal it was Haja who showed him the ropes, and it was Haja who held back the invaders who killed the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, so that Seig could get their daughter to safety.

Seig knew very well why Haja was here. Haja, being the most dedicated of all the Valentine family Vassals wanted to know the fate of New Elie state and it's Grand Duchess. The real mystery was what happened to the invaders and how did he get here before them.

"Greetings Seig Hart and your grace. It is a true relief that you have made it here safely." Haja Spoke in a cold elderly voice. As he knelt down before the Grand Duchess, he took her small hand in his own and placed a light kiss on it as a sign of respect.

Elie's tired eyes acknowledged her vassal and did not pull away, however she did reach out with her other hand and clutched Seig's long coat, as if pleading for his protection.

Seig looked down in confusion at her action but said nothing. While nothing was said out loud, their was always some tension between Elie and Haja. Haja was always all business, all the time and never showed any emotion what so ever in the presence of the Valentine family. One could see how a child like Elie would find that to be a little unnerving, but many of the vassals acted like this, including Seig most of the time, and Elie never showed any fear towards that before. She was probably just tired, Seig concluded.

"Yes. I am very glad you have all made it here." Everyone in the room looked up to face the man who had just spoken. It was an older gentleman, in his mid fifties, he had long silver hair and a mustache. His eyes were old and not only filled with wisdom and experience, but kindness as well. He stood up from the throne he was sitting in and walked towards his guests. This was the man they came all the way to see, king Malakia Symphonia Glory V.

There is something very important that must be discussed." His majesty spoke seriously.

"Two nights ago at 11:52 P.M. the Grand Duke and Duchess Valentine were found murdered in their own home. We can assume what the perpetrators were after." Haja stated. It was true, but he didn't have to be so blunt about it in frount of the dead couple's daughter. Then again, that was Haja, all business.

"Indeed." The king replied. "Which is why the new Grand Duchess must be kept safe at all costs. I believe that it would be best if one of the New Elie vassals were to take the seat of governor of the state for a while.

"Yes, that would probably be for the best" Said Seig. It was a law that if for any reason a noble could not perform their duties temporarily, than one of their vassals could rule for them in their name. This happened whenever a noble had to leave the state for a while, they inherited their position at too young an age, or if the state was without a noble for some reason or another and the king needed time to find a replacement. Technically the Valentine family would still hold its title, but the vassal would do all of the work, temporarily anyways.

"With her grace being only 10 years old, I believe that she may need more time to train and prepare herself for her responsibilities."

"Well that may be true." The king replied. "That is not the only reason why."

The vassals looked up at the king with confusion. What is the other reason?

"I believe that it may be in everyone's best interest if the Grand Duchess of New Elie were to go into hiding."

Everyone was shocked at this decision. "Your Majesty, is that truly necessary? I swear on my honor as a New Elie vassal that I will not allow another noble to fall! I can protect her!" Haja insisted.

"Then you can go with her. She will need someone to look after her and protect her. It may be unnecessary, it may not be. Either way, I will not take any chances. Is it not true that the Grand Duke and Duchess were murdered by unidentified wounds? We don't know what we are dealing with and until we do, all precautions must be taken. I've given this much thought and I am sure that her moving to a secret location will be her best shot at safety."

"Where am I going?" Elie finally spoke up. Her voice was soft and sleep filled. Up until now, everyone believed that she wasn't paying attention, but now she was focusing directly towards the king, doing her best to act professional among the adults.

Everyone looked upon the small, sleepy, noble. The king just smiled as he walked towards her. "There will be plenty of time for that latter."

Once his Majesty was only a foot or so away from the girl, he knelt down to her eyelevel. She took a single step away from Seig and let go of his coat so that she would be able to give the king a respectable curtsy. Even in her sleep deprived state she knew how to act in the presence of royalty. Her parents had taught her well.

"Your grace, I was wondering if you enjoy a personal tour of my palace? I would not feel like an honorable host if you did not oblige." His majesty offered with a polite smile.

Knowing it would be rude to refuse such a simple request of the king, Elie nodded her head yes. The way his majesty spoke to her, made her feel like she was an equal to him, not a baby, not of special ranking, but the same as him. She took his hand as he arose and slowly. He guided her out the door and down the hallway.

"You are both excused. We will speak latter." the king declared to Haja and Seig. As both vassals left the room, and went their separate ways, Seig looked in the direction the king and Grand Duchess went and decided to follow.

He caught up with them after only a minute and trailed behind them by about 15 paces, keeping them in sight. Seig made no effort to hide his presence but the king did not seem to notice him anyway. He was too busy speaking with Elie about when the castle was built and such things like that, just as a good tour guide would.

As the king went onin his explanation about the castle, Elie's eyes became even more droopy. Her head nodded off a few times as she shuffled as if she would just fall asleep while walking. After a few minutes of this, the king just scooped Elie up into his arms and carried her. Elie made no protest. She was so much more asleep than awake to actually be aware of him even doing it. His majesty just went right on talking about the boring history of his castle.

Seig was completely stunned at the king's action. Was he allowed to do that? I mean I know she's a little girl but she's still a Grand Duchess. However that was nothing compared to what the king was about to for the little girl.

Eventually the king came to a door in which he opened to reveal a large suite used as one of the many guestrooms in the castle. He sat the Grand Duchess on the bed and knelt down to remove her shoes. The whole while she just gave him a blank stare, clearly too out of it from sleep deprivation to care. Once her shoes were off and put to the side, the king proceeded to tuck her under the silk covers. At that point poor Elie could not help but close her eyes in the sheets comfortable embrace.

The king stood up to admire his handy work. He smiled at the now sleeping child. After all she had been through, she needed a good night's rest. He was about to put out the candle lighting the room and leave when he was halted by a soft whisper.

"Your Majesty…" Elie slurred, her eyes still closed. "Can I make a request?"

Seig spied on the King and Grand Duchess through the cracked door. He was completely blown away by the king's actions. Is he really allowed to do that?!

" His majesty hasn't acted like this since the prince was just a boy. He truly is good with children."

Seig turned in the direction of the voice. It came from a man with spiked red hair and a sword attached to his belt. His arms were crossed as he leaned up against the wall and smirked at Seig. The New Elie vassal was a little shocked to see him standing there. Either this man was as skilled at sneaking up on people as a ninja, or Seig was too tired from his journey to notice. Most likely, it was both.

"Well, not that I was here when the prince was a child" The red haired swordsman corrected himself. "But in a castle filled with old gossiping maids, with nothing better to talk about as they clean, stories go around."

Was this man trying to make light conversation with Seig? Too bad the Vassal was in no mood. "Who are you?" he asked annoyed.

"Sorry, it was rude not to introduce myself. Bakuen No Shuda, vassal to the king himself for six years." The red haired man answered.

Seig looked at the man from top to bottom. "I take it you are the warrior type of vassal, judging by your weapon and the lack of magic I'm sensing from you."

"That's right. This must be a rare sight for you. Since New Elie is best known for its sorcerers, I take it all the vassals over there use magic, huh."

Shuda's statement was actually true. But Vassals are hand chosen skilled people who serve and protect their state and the noble who appointed them to their position, so as long as they can do that, it didn't really matter how they do it, be it through magic, weapons, etc. Although being a vassal from the state with the best known sorcerers is definitely something to brag about to the magic community.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Seig asked, barely keeping the annoyance out of his voice.

"Jeez, I'm just trying to understand what's going on around here." Shuda defended. A nobleman and his wife were murdered." He added bitterly. He understood the gravity of the situation.

Finally Shuda was ready to seriously get to the point. "Listen, I don't know much about New Elie, other than it's a relatively new state to the union. Raregroove wanted to take over the world by forcefully taking as much territory from other nations as possible. When they came to Symphonia however, not only were we able to push them back and help get other nations their land back, we received some of Raregroove's original land for beating them so hard. Raregroove never fully recovered. It is but a shadow of its former self. The land that we took became New Elie." It was all Shuda could remember from his history class.

"That is correct." Seig said. Resha Valentine was named Grand Duchess of the new state and was asked that her family take care of it, because she worked harder than anyone else when it came to helping Symphonia."

"I was thinking." Shuda continued. "Raregroove is weak, but not gone for good. You wouldn't think that they arranged The Valentine's assassination in an attempt to take back what was originally their's, do you?"

"Certainly they are at the top of the suspects list, but there is another reason why someone would go after the Valentine family besides for the state they control." Seig answered

"There is?" Shuda asked.

"You know that it was Resha Valentine who clinched the war for us, but do you know how she did it?"

Shuda shook his head no.

"Etherion. It is a massive power that is passed on from generation to generation in the Valentine family, to the first born daughter. Resha Valentine only had a son, so it skipped his generation, but Grand Duchess Elie…." Seig trailed off. "Etherion is so huge! Most sorcerers can train all of their lives only to get a miniscule fraction of the kind of power that girl is born with! When Resha earned the title of Grand Duchess of New Elie state, magic users flocked from all over the country to study under her. That is how New Elie became so famous for magic, so quickly!"

Seig tried to explain it, but to Shuda it all seemed too unreal. How could such a little girl posses such power?

"It is also why I became a vassal for her family, to learn from all of the great sorcerers who have trained there in the past, including Master Haja. He has taught me so much ever since I became a vassal. I know he will do a great job of protecting The Grand Duchess from who ever it is that is after her."

"It is a shame that it won't be his responsibility. It will be your's"

Both vassals snapped their heads up at the new voice. The king had just exited the little girl's sleeping quarters and was now starring at Seig.

"You- your majesty!" Seig straitened up.

"Shuda, please leave us to speak alone." The king commanded. With a quick bow, the red haired vassal turned around and walked away.

"What do you mean your Majesty?" Seig asked, perplexed about the king's comment about responsibility.

"Seig Hart, I want you to take her to an undisclosed location and seal her magic up inside her as to make certain you will not be followed. Take care of her until I send word that the threat has been eradicated."

Seig was thrown back by the order. "B-but your Majesty, Master Haja is a much better body guard than I am, and he has already volunteered for this mission. I am not-"

"Silence! That is an order. Haja will stay behind to look after the state in her absence! You will protect your Grand Duchess with your life!" The king snapped.

Seig felt a small pang of shame hit him. He should not argue with his king's orders. "Yes your Excellency."

The king's demeanor softened a little. "Normally I would agree with you that the senior vassal would be the better choice, but it was requested by Grand Duchess Elie Valentine herself that you would stay with her. It is not my place to order around her vassals, and she knows you better than I do, so I trust her judgment."

The Grand Duchess specifically requested for him? She thought he would be best for this mission? Seig couldn't help but be a little flattered, nor could he refuse his Grand Duchess. "It would be my honor."

The king smiled. "Meet me in the west wing when you are finished here. I will be there waiting to tell you where you will be going. This is a matter of absolute secrecy, so make sure you are not followed."

The vassal nodded at the king's orders. With one final bow as his majesty left, Seig turned to the Grand Duchess's doorway to her sleeping quarters.

Slowly and quietly, he opened the door and tiptoed to the girl's bedside. She was fast asleep and he had to act very quietly so he would not disturb her slumber. The sorcerer's hands let out a soft purple glow. He had never sealed anyone's power before, let alone something this big, but he knew that if her power wasn't sealed then it would be traceable to the enemy.

Seig took one last glance at the girl's peaceful face. Please have sweet dreams tonight before you wake up to this mess tomorrow morning. You disserve a good night's rest, he thought.

Gently he placed both of his hands lightly on the girl's head and began to mentally focus on pushing her power down, so that they were completely unattainable to anyone.

_End Flash back._

"The next morning Elie and I left Symphonia and headed here where we tried to blend into society. We did everything we could to throw them off our trail. When she woke up the next morning she was so upset about loosing her magic she-"

"Please Seig tell us the truth!" Let cut him off. "Can't you see Elie is in grave danger right now!"

""I know." he answered in the most heart broken voice. "I've failed her. S-she could be dead or suffering as we speak and I can't do anything in my condition. Sniff, I've let my people down…" Seig, using all the strength as he could muster at the moment, lifted his only slightly injured hand and covered his face. He didn't want to let anyone see his tears.

This display would have made anybody feel bad for him, it did for Haru. Let however was getting too fed up with the fairytales to be swayed so easily. One of his friends was in trouble. "Symphonia isn't even a real country!"

Seig swallowed in an attempt to make his voice sound less broken. "It is in Inner world…" He whispered just loud enough for Let and Haru to hear.

This time Haru was the one to speak up. "What is inner world?" He asked his voice filled with seriousness. Let was right this was no time to play around. They needed answers and they needed them now.

Seig took a deep breath. Out of all of the things he would tell them, this would be the most unbelievable. "…Inner world… is a parallel dimension to this one, where magic evolved instead of technology. It is where Elie and I were both born."

Let was about to say something but Seig cut him off.

"Listen there is a portal in the next county over. Go to the Springfield Indiana train station. You will find a public restroom. In the men's restroom you will find a chipped tile piece on the wall in the shape of a keyhole. You will then prick your finger and put a single drop of blood in the keyhole, speak out loud the words 'Inner world' and the portal will appear before you. The portal will stay up for 50 seconds before disappearing. That will give you plenty of time to clean off your bloody finger and wash your hands (As you always should in a restroom) before you enter. Make certain no one else is around when you step in. That is how you get to inner world!

Once there, go to the Symphonian capitol and tell the king of the Grand Duchess's kidnapping. People will try to send you away, but you must be persistent! This is a matter of utmost importantly. Can I trust you to do this in my place while I am here healing?"

Both boys just stared at him speechless. Seig had a dead serious look on his face. Even if the story was unbelievable, Seig definitely believed it without doubt.

Just then a nurse opened the hospital room door, startling everyone out of their thoughts. "Okay you kids, visiting hours are over. The man needs his rest."

Let and Haru shuffled out the door, Taking one last look at Seig. The look in his eyes were both determined and pleading.

As both boy traveled down the hospital hallway, Let whispered to Haru the question on both of their minds. "So what will you do now?"

Haru didn't answer. He just walked forward, with his head held high and his jaw set in determination as the gears in his head turned about.

* * *

**So here we go people. I could have made this chapter longer, but I knew that if I didn't end it there, this chapter would just never stop and that's why I broke things up into story aches in the first place, dag nabbit!**

**I hope this chapter answered any questions you had. If you didn't understand anything, tell me in the reviews, I answer any questions that won't reveal any spoilers.**

**Also it has come to my attention, that I make too many grammatical errors in my work. Sorry. Spelling has NEVER been my forte and spell check tells you how to spell the word correctly, but does not tell you if the context is correct. (Example: Finish- to end something, Finnish- Language spoken in Finland. Both pronounced the same.) Anyway if you guys promise to let some of my mistakes go, I'll work harder when I proofread. **

**So now they have all of their information. Next Friday, see what they do with it.**

**Thanks so much for reviewing, you guys! It makes me smile. I hope to see more of that!**

**Over and out!**


	7. Halfway Point of No Turning Back End Par

**Do I own Rave Master? No, no I do not.**

**Half Way Point of No Turning Back End Part**

* * *

Bzz! Bzz! Bzz!

Let's alarm clock blared loudly in his ears. He cracked open his eyes and reached over to the source of the sleep disrupting sound. With a slam of his right hand, he turned the annoying device off. As he normally did every day at 6:30 Am on a Tuesday, he sat up, stretched, and wished that he could just go back to sleep.

This morning was different however. He didn't get much sleep last night because he was so worried about his friend, Elie. Poor Haru, he thought, if I'm having trouble sleeping, I can't imagine what he is going through.

Just then he heard a tap on his window, jolting him out of his thoughts. Then another tap came, this time he was able to see for himself the little pebble that flew into the glass, only for it to fall back down without making a scratch.

Let got out of bed and curiously made his way to the window. He looked down only to find his friend Haru standing on his front lawn staring up at him, backpack on his back, and a fist full of small pebbles.

"Haru, what do you think you are doing?" Let asked quietly, as to make sure he did not draw any attention from his neighbors.

"Come on, Let! We gotta get to Springfeild!" Haru answered back with a volume that clearly showed he was not so concerned about the neighbors.

Let gave his friend a bewildered and annoyed look. "Haru, it is 6:30 on a Tuesday morning! We both have to go to school. I have an English test today, and we can't go around playing detective with a story we heard from a man jacked up on morphine about how to go though the wardrobe to Narnia!"

"I promise if you come with me I'll explain to your dad, your teachers, anyone you want that you missed your test because of me, and if that doesn't work then you can just beat me up so bad, people will say 'Hey, now Haru is one too'!" The teenage boy pleaded to his friend.

"Why don't you just leave this to the authorities?" Let yelled back, no longer caring about the neighbors.

"Because if what Seig said was right, then it's up to us now. Now I got up at 4:00 AM, to pack, leave a note for my sister and uncle not to worry about me, and ran all the way over here! I will go with, or without you! Now the question is, will you let me go alone and run the possibility of having your other friend disappear because there was no one there to supervise him, or will you just take a simple bus ride with me to the next county over and just check out a simple public restroom that would have either have wasted your whole day, or lead us to rescuing our friend!" Haru yelled in one breath.

Let looked down at the boy from his second story window. Haru had the most determined look on his face that Let had ever seen from anybody. It was clear his mind was made up. "Hold on. Just let me get ready."

After four hours of sitting on an uncomfortable bus, Haru and Let were beginning to get a little restless.

"I hate to be that kind of person, but are we there yet?" Let asked, agitation clear in his voice.

"Do ya see any train station?" Haru snapped. They were both very tired, Haru especially because he had gotten up so early that morning. He thought he could catch some shut-eye on the ride over there, but he had no idea that the seats were going to be this uncomfortable.

So basically, both teenage boys sat in the back seat of a bus for four hours with nothing to do but try and fail at taking a nap. Haru didn't really care. Every time he thought about complaining, he'd just remember why he was doing this. If he was uncomfortable, then what was Elie feeling in the hands of those kidnappers/ possible murderers if Seig's story was true. He hoped that wherever she was, she was in a cozier place than him.

Haru was snapped out of his thoughts as he felt the bus come to a slow stop. His head jolted up. They were supposed to get out on the seventh stop. Quickly he added up the number of times they had stopped so far in his head.

"Let! Let! Get up! This is it!" Haru yelled like an excited child.

"Well it's about time. Haru, I Think- Hey!" Let never got the chance to finish his sentence. As soon as the door opened Haru was off like a rocket, leaving a trail of unhappy people that he pushed away in the dust.

Let released an aggravated grumble. How could that kid be so energetic after sitting around for four hours? Couldn't they at least stop to stretch their legs?

Let grabbed his bag out from under his seat, and proceeded to follow his friend. At least he tried to. Haru had run off so fast, Let lost sight of him within a few seconds. Let wasn't worried though. The older teenage boy just kept quiet and listened for the boy.

It was one of let's special talents. His sense of sight, hearing, and smell, was stronger than the average person. Some of the people that knew about these abilities thought they were just downright superhuman. Let didn't think much of it though. It wasn't that much above average. So he could do some things better than others. Big deal! Many people were naturally better at some things than others, that didn't make them super heroes.

After a few seconds Let picked up the sound of Haru's heavy pants from sprinting off the bus so fast, and the sight of his spiky silver hair amongst the crowd of people. He did his best to follow after him, but it was truly hard to navigate through the crowds. Let was constantly muttering words of 'excuse me', 'pardon me', 'sorry',(ect.) as he brushed past strangers.

Eventually, he lost sight of Haru again. Let was getting frustrated, but he still wasn't too worried. He knew where the 16 year old was headed. Just keep going until you smell a rest room, Let told himself.

After about ten minutes of wondering through the crowds, the stench of public lavatory hit his nose. He'd smelled worse, but these places were never a field of daisies for him no matter what.

Luckily He found something else that he was looking for besides the rest room. Haru stood right next to the door, arms crossed like he was waiting for something.

Let walked right up to him. "The door locked?" The older teenager asked.

"Some one's in there." The younger one simply responded.

As if on queue, a large man stepped out of the door, a small line of toilet paper still clinging to his foot. The man paid no attention to Haru or Let as he passed them both and walked away.

"Okay, now!" Haru said as he grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him into the rest room with him.

Let looked around. The place had three stalls, three urinals, and three, sinks, all of them empty. "Why were you waiting for that man to leave, if there are plenty of open stalls to choose from?"

"You heard what Seig said. Make sure no one sees us do this. Now stand watch while I go looking for this keyhole." Haru explained as he looked over all of the tiles on the wall.

This rest room wasn't in the best of shape. The floor had pieces of toilet paper scattered all over the place. Many of the tiles were chipped and some were even completely torn off, and the grime that covered the toilet seats? Let didn't even want to guess what that was all about.

"So we're really doing this?" Let asked dryly. He supposed it would make sense to do it, since they came all this way, but now that they were actually here, looking for magic portals, the whole thing felt even more ridiculous than ever. Still Haru was seriously going at it like a trooper, examining every nook and cranny.

"Aha! I think I've found something!" The younger teenage boy exclaimed as he towered over one tile in particular that just barley resembled a keyhole if one squinted at it the right way.

"Please tell me your not- Hey! Don't do that!" Let yelled as he watched Haru bite down on the tip of his finger hard enough to draw a little blood.

Without listening to a word his friend was saying, Haru looked down at his finger determinedly. This was it. The way to save Elie! With all the hope he had within him, Haru put his bloodied finger on the missing tile piece and bellowed out with all the confidence inside of him. "INNER WORLD!"

They stood in silence, not even daring to move or even breathe loudly for a few seconds.

And then another few seconds.

And a few more.

Finally Haru's determined look began to soften, and then fall into a look of disappointment. His shoulders slumped and his head fell slightly as he slowly removed his finger from the wall. Despair began to set in. So there really was nothing he could do to save Elie.

Let's face softened as well. For him though it was because of his concern for his friend. As big a hassle as this whole trip was, he was only doing it because he just wanted there to be something he could do for Elie.

Let was about to say something when he suddenly became distracted by a light. It started out small at the point where Haru's finger was and then began to spread out. Soon the entire rest room wall was glowing with this bright light. The boys needed to shield their eyes from it for a moment.

When the light died down, they looked up only to see what appeared to be some sort of black hole. They could feel a small breeze sucking them in somewhat, but it was clearly not strong enough of a pull to force them in.

Haru's determined expression quickly returned to him. He turned back to his friend. You coming or what?"

Let stared wide-eyed at the portal in front of him, mouth slightly ajar. Finally after a few seconds, he could comprehend what was happening and just like Let to think ahead, he whipped out his cell phone. After dialing his home number, knowing full well that no one was home, he left a message for the machine.

"D-dad? I don't think I'll be home tonight…" He spoke into his phone, eyes never leaving the portal.

* * *

Very slowly the sleep pollen that put Elie under was beginning to wear off. First her senses came back, then the cobwebs in her head started to clear away. Finally, she regained the ability to move her body. Despite this, she still didn't want to open her eyes.

Waking up from a sleep-induced state usually caused many more headaches than just waking up from a normal sleep. That's why it took her so long to finally get her awareness back. Currently, the headache she was experiencing made her just want to fall back asleep until it was gone.

She let out a small groan and rolled her head to the side to ease her own discomfort.

"SSSHHHH." Someone cooed in her ear.

Elie couldn't make out who it was exactly but only seconds later she felt a hand gently running its fingers through her hair. It was very comforting and it eased her headache a little.

A content smile played on her lips as she guessed who this mystery person was. "Haru…" She whispered.

The response she received however, was not the one she was expecting.

"Heh heh heh. Not exactly, my dear." Answered a stranger's voice, sending chills up her spine.

Immediately Elie's eyes shot open and she sat up so fast, it almost made her dizzy. Eyes wide in shock, she stared into the face of a shaggy blond haired man. His tanned skin contrasted with his bright golden hair. He wore very expensive looking armor, like that of a dictator. His yellow, soulless eyes bore into her as well, and a sinister smirk played on his lips.

"My dear it is so lovely to have you here. There is an important matter in which I must discuss with you." The stranger answered in the most raspy, yet smooth voice.

A thousand alarms were going off in Elie's head. Who was this man? What's going on? Where was she?

Upon taking her eyes off the man for only a moment, she was able to answer that last question herself. She gasped as she looked around the familiar room. The high ceiling, the shelves filled with adorable bobbles and toys, even the large, silk sheet bed she was laying on at that very moment. This was her old bedroom, exactly the same as she left it the night she and Seig fled six years ago!

She looked down at herself as well. She was not wearing the same clothes she fell asleep in, and that greatly disturbed her. She was now wearing a poufy, long, silky, pale blue gown with lace donning all of the hemlines. It was like something Queen Marie Antoinette would wear.

What in the world was happening?

"I understand you must have many questions, my pet. May I call you pet? Grand Duchess Elie Valentine is quite the mouth full." The strange man sitting on the bed with her said in a light hearted manor, but Elie saw no light heartedness anywhere in the situation.

The noble woman gulped but put on her brave face. "And what should I address you as, sir?"

The man only chuckled slightly, sending her a wave of uneasiness. "What manors. Then again what else should I expect of a lady of your stature, Madame. It is the reason I've summoned you here."

He scooped up Elie's hand and placed a respectful kiss on it. Elie never liked it when people kissed her hand like that. She didn't care if it was out of respect, it just made her so uncomfortable.

"My name is Lucia. That is all you need to know about me for now." He answered.

"Lucia." Elie said. "You have summoned me here? In my home's sleeping quarters just because I am the Grand Duchess here?" She was almost afraid of the answer.

"Why not?" He put simply as he leaned toward her. "Tell me, you do love your title, correct? The power that comes with being born into this particular family and class? There are so few women in this entire nation who are above you."

With each word Lucia got closer to her. Elie backed away, but it seemed like for every inch she receded, he advanced two inches more, and with the most seductive grin plastered on his face. The girl was getting more nervous by the second.

Eventually Elie had gone too far backwards, and she fell off the bed, landing on her back. Lucia showed no concern and his lustful demeanor did not soften, he only got off of the bed himself and advanced toward her even more.

Quickly Elie got up off the floor, taking a few more steps back in the process, wary eyes never leaving him, but Lucia did not give up and he continued to stock her all around the room until her back hit her dresser and she was cornered.

"I can relate to that. Being born with the divine right to rule, with power." He seethed as he came so close he pinned her against the dresser. His hands snaked up around her back so that he was holding her in his arms. Elie tried to push him away, but it was no use, Lucia was too strong.

Their eyes never parted from each other and as Elie's eyes grew more and more fearful, his became increasingly seductive and lustful. Finally, in one swift movement he roughly twisted her around so that she was facing the dresser and looking directly into the mirror hanging above it. She was sickened by the reflection of the two of them so close and his hands wrapped around her abdomen, He smirked at the sight.

"Then again, you could always be of higher status. You could be queen of this entire country, this entire world, and maybe even the outer world as well." He cooed evilly.

Unwrapping one arm from her, he reached over, across the dresser to a beautifully decorated wooden jewelry box. Opening it he took out a gorgeous diamond studded necklace and draped it around her neck. All the while Elie was trying to pry Lucia's hand off of her abdomen with no success. Lucia looked at the two of them standing in the mirror with a grin of satisfaction. Clearly he was very pleased with what he saw.

After fastening the necklace around her neck, Lucia brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear then roughly grabbed her face by her chin. "It suits you. Truly you look divine. From now on you'll only get the best of everything just like this. I mean my arms around you, of coarse. Heh heh." Elie didn't see what was so funny. Not at all.

"I'll give you everything. Power, status, riches beyond your wildest dreams, my queen." Slowly his face advanced upon the pinned down girl in his arms, until his lips were less than an inch above her neck. As his mouth hovered over her flesh he whispered. "And all you have to do is promise unconditional devotion and obedience…well?"

With that final word he went in, pressing his lips against her skin and kissing her neck passionately. Elie shuttered against him, she closed her eyes and her attempts to pull away became more desperate, but Lucia's hold on her was much too strong.

Eventually she was able to get one arm free, and in one quick motion, she used it to smack him upside the head as hard as she could. The sudden attack surprised him and caused him to slacken his grip just enough for Elie to slip out of his hold and step away.

It only momentarily stunned him however, because only a few seconds later, Lucia was going back to setting his sights on Elie. This time however, instead of lust in his eyes, they were filled will unadulterated furry towards her.

"You little witch!" He seethed as he raised a hand to backhand her. "I'll teach you to respect me!"

Elie's eyes grew wide at the oncoming attack. She tried to take a step back, only to trip on her own gown and land on her butt. Lucia was about to follow through with his violence until her fearful eyes met his. That terror. Exactly what he wanted from her. She knew who was in control here. He had power over her and he loved that.

His expression softened and he lowered his hand, confusing Elie. The smile returned to his face as turned to the room's exit. "I see that you need time to think about it. That's just fine. I have important matters to deal with in the meantime."

Lucia opened the bedroom door and just as he was leaving, he turned back to take one last glance at Elie and say. "Until next time, pet. You mow it over."

Then he slammed the door behind him. Elie could hear his loud cackles as he walked down the hall, leaving her alone.

Elie stared at the door for a few seconds longer in stunned silence before she shook herself off and ran to the door. No way was she staying here for a minute longer with that creep around.

She jiggled the doorknob. It didn't budge. She tried again, this time with both hands, using all the strength she could muster. Elie was getting more nervous by the second as the gravity of the situation began to seep in. "Please don't let this be happening!" She whispered to herself in her own frustration.

She let go of the doorknob and began to pound on the smooth wooden door franticly. "Hey! You can't do this! Don't you know who I am? You can't treat me this way! I run this state!"

The trapped Grand Duchess yelled angrily though the door until her throat began to feel sore. She stepped back furious eyes burning into the door as if just her anger alone could cause the wooden blockage separating her and freedom to just burn down, allowing her to leave.

A few moments latter, the door was still very much in tact. The only thing that was starting to ware away was her hope. She turned about face to the door and dashed over to the window. Desperate times call for desperate measures. If she couldn't leave through the door, then she would find a way to clime down the -NO!

The lock on the out side of the door wasn't the only new feature that was added to her bedroom while she was gone. She drew the silk curtains back, revealing iron bars crossing the outside of her large window. She really was trapped. Trapped in this castle with Lucia who could just waltz right in at any time to do as he wanted with her.

The thought of that horrible man made the girls knees buckle. Slowly she slumped down on to her pillowed window seat.

A sick feeling settled in on her. So she did as she always did whenever she was feeling down, she gazed out the window, just as she had done so many other times in outer world. This time however, instead of the bright blue sky that she had come accustomed to for six years, her eyes laid upon a soft, gentle lavender. The one that she yearned to see again for so long. Unfortunately she couldn't enjoy it like she thought she would when she finally got home.

Strangely enough a new sadness hit her as she gazed out at the sweet purple. It seemed as though the sky had the opposite affect as it did in Indiana. It reminded her of Haru.

A tear came to her eye. To think that the worst-case scenario was coming true right before her very eyes and she was just wishing he was here. She'd probably never see him again, the rest of the people she cared about too.

The devastated noblewoman folded her arms on the windowsill and began to sob quietly as she rest her head on them. All of her nightmares were becoming reality. What was she going to do?

* * *

**I choose the name of the town to be Springfeild because it is the most common name for a town in America. That's why no one knows what state the Simpsons live in.**

**I wanted this chapter to be longer, but I just thought that that would be the perfect place to end this arc.**

**But guess what, this is the first chapter that I have ever wrote on my brand new laptop. It's the first one that has ever been all mine, just for my use. I got it as a high school graduation gift. It's suppose to be for collage, but I won't tell if you don't.**

**Any way, that my friend is the end of the second story arc. We've got big things coming up. Including the arrivals of some familiar faces. And Haru and Let's ascension into inner world! Your just going to have to stay tuned to read what happens next exactly.**

**Next time: "Deep in the white rabbit's hole"**

**Remember, reviews= Happy gangsta of love!**


	8. Deep In The White Rabbit's Hole  Part 1

**Deep In The White Rabbit's hole Part 1**

**I don't own Rave Master-WAIT!.... Nope…. I thought I did that time.**

* * *

It was a bright, sunny day. The multi-winged rainbow birds were chirping, the sun was shining in the soft purple sky, and the talking squirrels were arguing over acorns at the base of one of the few trees that dotted a clear open meadow, just a normal day in Inner world.

Unfortunately, not everyone was enjoying it. Two strange travelers strolled across the meadow, bickering to each other about whether or not they should be considered lost.

"I'm sure we are almost there, just through this meadow and then it's not much further." Said one of the travelers. She was a thin woman of average height. Her wild purple hair and purple eyes were only a single shade darker than that of the sky above them. Her exceedingly pale skin contrasted with her bright, yellow pollo shirt and matching yellow skirt that reached her ankles. She held a map in her hands and constantly turned the paper upside down, sideways, and every which way, confused as to how to hold it, much less read it.

"I don't believe you, Poyo! You got us lost again, haven't you, Poyo?"

This woman's companion was at least a 100 times stranger looking than her. For one thing, he wasn't human. He was a three-foot tall, talking pink penguin, wearing a hat. The woman this penguin was traveling with did not find this strange in the least. She did however sometimes wonder why he had to sprinkle every sentence with the word "Poyo."

"Let me see that map, poyo!" The penguin demanded. His friend scoffed at him slightly but obliged.

The strange creature grabbed it out of her hands. His eyes squinted at the paper as he tried to get any sort of understanding from it. "Hmm… Well, obviously these blue roads are the way to go, poyo!" was the conclusion he came to.

"Ruby, you're holding the map upside down! We aren't anywhere near there! And you seriously think the blue lines are roads? You are worse at this than I am!" The woman yelled.

The penguin was getting mad. "I am not, poyo!"

"Oh forget it! This is impossible! We'll never reach New Elie's capitol like this! We'd sooner have a better chance of -"

BBOOOOMMM!

Before the woman could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a loud, thundering bang and a blinding light that came from behind them.

Slowly both her and her smaller companion turned around just to take a cautious glance at what that was.

"What the poyo was that?" The penguin asked his jaw hanging wide open. The woman mimicked her friend's actions.

"I- I have no idea Ruby…."

They stared in the direction of the unexpected occurrence for a few moments longer. Everything appeared to be fine now, as if nothing had happened. Then, without notice, the creature sprinted in the direction of the light. It only took the woman a moment for her to get a grip on the situation.

She stared out at her friend before she sprinted after him. "Ruby, where are you going? Come back here!" She yelled after him. "Ruby! It could be dangerous! You don't know what's out there! RUBY!"

* * *

"Ugh… What a trip…" Haru muttered as he shook his head. Currently the teenage boy was sprawled out on his back, eyes closed tight. "How'd I end up here and-" His hand felt around underneath him. The familiar texture itched his skin. Wait, he knew what this stuff underneath him was.

"Grass?" He said out loud as he opened his eyes. What he saw however, was not the blue sky that he thought would greet him. Instead, he gazed strait up at a soft purple sky.

He shot up. Wait this isn't right! The sky is not, nor has it ever been purple! He looked down. The sky wasn't the only thing out of the ordinary. The grass was a sight to behold as well. It was still green, but a different shade of green, than normal. Haru had never before in his entire life seen real grass so green and healthy looking. Gardeners could spend nine hours each day on their lawns and never reach this level of perfection. It was beautiful!

It was also a strange sight to behold in the fall. It looked like it was spring here. Could it be that the seasons were reversed here, and that it was their spring during outer world's fall?

"Ughh… Who painted the sky?" came a familiar, yet obviously disoriented, voice.

Haru could recognize who it was immediately. The teen twisted his head around only to find his friend, Let, in the same position as he was.

"Let! Let! This has got to be it! We've made it! THIS. IS. INNER WORLD!" Haru screamed in his excitement and he bolted up to his feet.

Slowly let stood up as well. The elder teen took a good look around, amazed by the scenery. The, extraordinary green grass, the lavender sky, a few trees that dotted the area here and there, and it all seemed to go on forever.

"I… I never imagined…" Let whispered to himself.

"Well come on! Don't just stand there!" Haru tried to snap Let out of his thoughts as he walked around the area picking up pieces of their luggage that they brought with them. They too were sprawled out all over the place.

"We've got to find that Grand Duchess of ours as soon as possible, or else!"

* * *

Little did Haru or Let know, they were being watched. The traveling woman and penguin were currently hiding behind the closest tree to the two teenagers. They had been listening to their entire conversation the whole time, and they were definitely worried about it.

"Did you hear that?" The purple haired woman whispered to her friend.

"Just barely, poyo." He answered.

"They said something about finding the Grand Duchess. You don't think they could mean Grand Duchess Valentine of New Elie, do you?"

"Well I don't know of any other noble women with that title right now, poyo." It was true there were Grand Barrens, Grand Marquises, and even Grand Governesses, but there was only one grand Duchess of Symphonia. "But what would they want with her, poyo? Isn't she still missing poyo?" The creature answered.

"That's what I thought too. Do you think they could know something we don't?..... Or maybe….. GASP!" A terrifying thought just hit her. "The Grand Duchess Valentine is in hiding because bad people are after her! What if these are the bad people looking for her?

Her small comrade was about to scream at the thought of that terrible notion. He didn't want to be anywhere near some evil Grand Duchess kidnapping sickos. Who knew what they would do to them if they were caught eavesdropping on their schemes. She covered his mouth before he had the chance to let out any noise other than a small squeak.

"Shh. Quiet Ruby. They might hear you." She whispered.

The penguin started trembling out of fear. "I want to go home, poyo."

"Ruby this is our chance, don't you see? If we capture these men, we'd be heroes! The state would practically be begging us to become vassals!"

The small creature lit up at that statement, his fear quickly forgotten. "Heroes, poyo! What do we have to do?"

* * *

"How are we going to get to the kingdom's capitol to see the king?" Let asked. It was a legitimate question. Currently they were in the middle of an open grassy field. There was no sign of civilization in sight, and they were in a world that was completely new to them. They had no idea where anything was.

Haru thought for a moment. "Well I'm sure we'll find something. If we just start walking we'll probably find someone who can give us directions. Either way we won't get anywhere just standing here. Lets go."

"Don't think for a second that you two are not going to never leave with us stopping you!"

Let and Haru turned in the direction of the new voice. Their eyes fell upon the young purple haired woman with an accent very similar to how Elie used to speak, and her talking penguin companion. The two travelers both stared at the teenage boys straight and tall, with their hands on their hips and eyes filled with fierce determination, until the penguin halted his stare just for a moment to whisper something to his taller companion.

"Um, I think you used too many negatives in that sentence, poyo."

She whispered back. "I know. I thought it sounded stupid after I finished saying it. I just wanted to make it clear that them leaving was a no."

"Uh, who are you?" Haru asked, not at all intimidated by their fierce gazes. He was more preoccupied by their appearance. A purpled haired woman and a…. Wait was that a penguin?

"I'll tell you who we are, poyo! We are the defenders of truth, poyo, and justice and-

"A TALKING PENGIUN WEARING A HAT!" Let yelled completely blown away by what he was seeing. A purple sky was one thing, he could even tolerate the magic he was told about to a degree, but this was just flat out ridiculous.

"Jeez these people are rude." The woman said to the creature. He nodded in return. Slightly offended by them cutting him off for such an unnecessary outburst.

"You know what? It doesn't matter who you we are to you!" The woman said as she turned back to the person she declared as her enemy. "All you need to know is that we're gonna whoop your fannies. ON GUARD!"

She charged right at Haru with one hand that appeared to be making a fist, but when Haru took a closer look at it, it wasn't a fist at all. It was a small ball of light. He recognized this from when he saw Elie create light with just her body. This woman's light ball was on a much smaller scale, but the boy still remembered how much it had hurt his kidnapper, so he was in fact very worried.

He ducked to avoid being hit, but it didn't matter anyway. The purple haired woman ran so fast at Haru, she wasn't able to stop in time and she ran right past him. She tried skidding to a halt, but she ended up tripping over her own feet and falling flat on her face with her but in the air. The light ball faded away when her concentration broke.

"Oh No, poyo! Belnika, don't worry I'm coming poyo!" The talking penguin yelled in concern for his friend.

The creature pulled out a tiny sword that looked to be the perfect size for him out of a sheath. Just like his comrade before him, he also charged up a light ball, except his was at the tip of his sword. Then with all his might, he swung his weapon at his enemy in an attempt to redeem his fallen friend.

Sadly, the poor creature had the worst aim. His attack missed Haru completely and instead hit his ally's butt strait on, causing her to let out a pathetic yelp. She wasn't badly hurt. Actually it appeared as though only her skirt was slightly singed. The way she rubbed her stinging rear end in an attempt to sooth it was quite a comical sight.

"Oops, poyo. Sorry, Belnika!" He called out to his friend in embarrassment.

The penguin then turned his attention back to his enemy. "You made me hurt my friend, poyo! You're gonna pay, poyo!"

"Uh…Poyo?" Let spoke in confusion. The little creature had used that word a multiple of times. What did that even mean?

,

"And don't think I forgot about you, poyo!" The creature charged at Let, smacking himself right into him. The talking penguin fell back on his butt in recoil, but unfortunately it looked as though the teenager he struck wasn't hurt at all. But that didn't discourage the little guy in the least. He stood up immediately and began hitting and slapping Let as hard as he could with his penguin flippers.

Once again, Let showed no sign that he was hurt, however he was getting pretty annoyed with the pathetic barrage of slaps very quickly. "Alright that's enough." Let said, his voice dripping with agitation, and in once swift motion he simply pushed the penguin away with one hand.

The creature fell flat on it's back. For a moment it lay there still, completely lifeless, when out of nowhere the little guy just burst onto tears.

"WAHH, POYO! WE'LL NEVER SAVE THE GRAND DUCHESS! WAHH! WAHH!"

Let and Haru gave the creature a bewildered look. Is that what they were trying to do? That doesn't make any sense. Why would they try to attack them to save a Grand Duchess?

"RUBY!" The young purple haired woman ran to her friend's side. She held his upper body in her arms as she tried to console him. "Oh Ruby, that was a really good effort. Don't give up now."

"Um, excuse me." The woman looked up only to see Haru standing over the two of them. Strangely, he looked concerned.

"Uh, I think there's been a misunderstanding. Will you please tell me your names?"

The young woman sniffed back a few tears. These men had them on the ropes, but she couldn't back down now. She'd try to be brave. "I'm Belnika. Sniff. This is Ruby, and sniff, if you try to do anything to hurt him again, I'll-"

"Whoa, whoa! We don't want to hurt anybody! Can I ask what you guys meant by 'save the Grand Duchess?'". Haru said. If he could just defuse the situation than maybe he could get these guys to help. It could be that the Grand Duchess they were talking about was Elie.

"Sniff. We heard there were bad people after the Grand Duchess of New Elie, poyo. Sniff, so we when we heard that you guys were looking for her, poyo….Sniff, We thought maybe you were the bad guys." Ruby sniveled.

"What? No! She's a really good friend of ours. We need to find her to help her." Answered Let.

Ruby smiled at that explanation. It's good that these guys weren't bad. Maybe they could be friends, but Belnika"s face was the one to really light up at their news in both surprise and delight.

"YOU KNOW THE GRAND DUCHESS HERSELF? WHAT'S SHE LIKE? WHERE HAS SHE BEEN? COULD WE MEET HER?" Belnika was practically flinging herself at Haru and Let with questions. Her vigor made them slightly uncomfortable.

"Um, in order. Yes we know her. She's nice. She's been with us in outer world, and we'd introduce you, but we're in the middle of searching for her right now." Haru answered as he backed away from the hyper girl.

Belnika gasped, her jaw hung wide open, her friend Ruby was the one to voice what they were both thinking. "YOU'VE GUY'S HAVE BEEN TO OUTER WORLD, POYO?"

Haru shut his mouth in regret, thinking that he might not want to go sharing that information with just anyone. From the angry look Let gave him, it was clear he was thinking the same thing.

Oh well, it was out there, and there was no taking it back now. Besides it's not like these guys seemed to pose such a threat. "Yes, we are from outer world, but we came here looking for our friend Elie, the Grand Duchess. She was kidnapped and we've got to-"

"Gasp! She truly is in trouble?" Belnika exclaimed

"Yes. That's why we need to get to the Nation's capitol to alert the king! Do you know which way to go. We don't know anything about this world." Haru explained. Again that was probably too much information, but Elie was in trouble and they needed all the help they could get.

"You'll never get an appointment to see the king. He doesn't just let anybody waltz right in. He's the king for crying out loud." Belnika explained.

"Well we have to try." Answered Let. Haru nodded in agreement with his friend.

"The Capitol's too far away, poyo. If you're in a hurry, poyo, you're best bet is to just go to New Elie's capitol instead. They'll contact the king and send out troops to rescue her right away poyo."

"Well, we don't know how to get there either." Let explained.

Belnika got very excited. "We were just headed there right now. We'll show you the way!"

Ruby looked at his friend strangely. It wasn't like her to just take on traveling buddies just like that. "We will, poyo?"

She turned to her friend. "Ruby, may I speak to you alone in privet?" She asked as she took her friend by the flipper and led him a few feet away, so she could whisper her plan, leaving behind two bewildered outer worlders.

"Ruby this is it! This is our chance!" She exclaimed.

"The last time you said that I ended up zapping your butt, poyo, and what do you mean?"

"I mean the whole reason we're going to New Elie is to become Vassals for that state, correct? Well these people are personal friends with Grand Duchess Valentine! They'll put in a good word for us! After we take them to the capitol of New Elie, we'll just help out a little with her rescuing and by the time this whole mess is straitened out-"

"They'll INSIST we become Vassals for them, poyo!" He cut her off in excitement.

"Exactly!" Belnika exclaimed.

"Okay, we can tell Elie about you!" Came a voice from a few feet away.

Ruby and Belnika turned in the direction of the two outer worlders. Haru had just yelled to them. As it turned out, they had heard everything.

"Y-you were eves dropping!" Belnika yelled embarrassed.

"Anybody could hear you. You only walked a few feet away and you didn't even whisper your conversation." Let corrected.

The duo's cheeks turned red from embarrassment. They needed to work on some things.

"Anyway, don't worry about it. It sounds like a far deal to me." Haru smiled.

The duo's faces light up again. Their dreams of some day becoming New Elie State Certified Vassals seemed to finally becoming reality. They were almost there!

"Alright. Let the Adventure begin, my new comrades!" Belnika exclaimed still giddy from the excitement of thinking about her and her best friends dream. She began sprinting off onward to their prized destination until suddenly she heard her best friend call out to her.

"Hey, Belnika, poyo! Isn't that the direction we just came from?"

She turned around and jogged back to where her comrades were, just as embarrassed as she was only a moment ago. "Uh… Yes of course. Thank you Ruby."

She began sprinting again this time in the other direction. Unfortunately it seemed that as soon as she just 20 feet away, she tripped over her own two feet and fell flat on her face for the second time in just 15 minutes.

The others cringed at the poor girl, feeling slightly embarrassed for her. As she got up, she called back that she was okay. Haru whispered to his new penguin friend.

"She is not graceful, is she?"

Ruby let out a sigh as he shook his head no.

* * *

The four travelers walked for five hours with multiple breaks in between. As the sun began to set they made up their minds that it would be a good Idea to set up camp.

Two rather large tents were pitched. Ruby and Belnika had brought along two with the intention that they would each get their own, but with the unexpected arrival of Haru and Let, they decided that the two boys would share one tent and Belnika would room with her ten year old penguin friend.

After the tents were set up, Let was able to set a campfire just before it became too dark. "There. That should do it." Let said as he put another log on the flames. "I'm glad I was able to leave my father a message before we came here. I hope he was able to get it." The boy was still a little overwhelmed at the idea that he was in another dimension.

"Well, did you leave the note in a place where he could find it, poyo?" Ruby asked as they all became situated around the fire.

"Hm? Oh. No, I just left him a voice mail." Let answered.

Belnika furrowed her eyebrows at the foreign word. "Voice mail?"

"Yes. I take it you don't have phones here?"

The inner world duo gasped at that word. "You own a phone? Wow, you must be rich!" Belnika exclaimed.

"So you do have phones here?" Haru asked.

"Yup, poyo. But only rich people and nobility can afford them, poyo. They're super rare!" Answered Ruby.

"I'm slightly surprised to hear that." Let said. "I would have thought that inner world was stuck in the dark ages or something."

"Well I don't know what you mean by dark ages. But shortly after Symphonia won the war about 50 years ago, we went through something similar to an industrial revolution. New inventions were made, magic was being further studied as well as science, literature and philosophy. The victory over Raregroove put Symphonia on the map and we even became a powerhouse in the eyes of other nations as well. But what truly gave us our power was the invention of a means to get to another dimension." Belnika explained.

"You mean the portals between Inner world and Outer world?" Haru asked.

"Yup, poyo. Lots of scientists sneak into outer word and try and understand how outer world technology can help us, poyo. But they only just stared to take stuff back with them not too long ago, Poyo." Ruby noted.

Belnika continued with her explanation. "Well it's been years since the invention of portals and we've barely gotten any where with trying to understand how most things in Outer world work, however we do know much about outer world's history and the king feels that it would be a bad idea to let them know about us as well. That is why the only ones allowed to even touch the portals are those who have permission from the king."

"But usually the ones that get to go bring back neat stuff for us, poyo! Like phones, poyo!" Ruby added.

Haru remembered back to when Elie first learned about technology. They really did have a lot of catching up to do when it came to studying them.

"That makes sense. If you want a good example as to why it isn't a good idea to just let one world open itself up to another, just watch 'Avatar'. It's smart to keep yourselves a secret from outer world." Let commented.

"What's 'Avatar'?" Belnika questioned

"Never mind."

"We barely know anything about outer world, poyo."

"That is except for the story of what happened to the prince." Belnika added.

"What story?" Let asked.

"It's a true story about what happened to the heir of the Symphonian kingdom. His highness, the king's only child, went on a scouting mission to outer world to learn more about it, with his father's permission of course.

It said that during his trip there, he loved the place so much that he didn't want to leave, and there was one reason in particular why he wanted to stay. It said that he met and fell madly, deeply, in love with an outer world woman.

If he had the choice, he would have stayed forever in that small outer world town with a that woman and started a family with her right there, in what he felt was the perfect place for them."

Ruby made a gagging noise at his friend's love story. It was much too mushy for his tastes, but Belnika continued any way.

"So he came back inner world and begged his father to let him give up his rights to the throne. Naturally, most of the kingdom protested the idea. The prince was the only heir to the Symphonian dynasty. If he did not ascend the throne, it would mean, that the next king would not be a blood relative to the king we have now. It would be a person that the king did not raise and primp himself to follow in his footsteps, and that was very unsettling for the people.

His majesty, the king however, was a strong believer in following your heart, and so he allowed his son to do as he wished, regardless of what the community felt, however, in exchange if the prince or anyone from his family should ever return to Inner World, the right to inherit the throne would be restored. The people were not happy about this decision, but eventually got over it.

No one has heard from the prince since, but we'd like to assume he is happy wherever he is."

Let yawned. "Well that was a nice little historical story. It made me a little sleepy though."

"Yeah, poyo. Sleep sounds good."

As they all got up to go to their respective tents, Belnika noticed that Haru was still sitting, staring at the fire. "Are you not tired? We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow, it's best to get a good night's sleep."

"You go." He answered. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Belnika shrugged him off and left to go to her and Ruby's tent. As soon as she left Haru put out the fire, by putting dirt onto the weakening flames instead of more fire wood to fuel it. Now that the fire's light was gone. Nothing distorted the boy's view of the stars.

It was a nice clear night. The purple sky was so dark, that the once purple sky now looked no different than the sky back home, that is except for the multitude of more stars that were visible in this sky. It was beyond beautiful.

The story that Haru had just heard made him think of Elie. He couldn't quite place why. Maybe he just missed her so much. As he looked up at the marvelous night sky, he wondered if Elie was locked up in a terrible place, or if she was able to see this magnificent sight too. He hoped it was the later.

If she was looking up at the same night sky at the same time as he was, than in a weird way, they were together right now. He smiled at that thought.

As Haru got up and headed for his respective tent he whispered something almost inaudible.

"Sweet dreams. Elie."

* * *

"Good night, Haru." Elie whispered to herself as she stared out her window seat into the night sky thinking of the boy she loved.

She had been there practically the whole day. There wasn't much to do, honestly. You'd think that if you had to be locked up anywhere, you'd choose a luxurious bedroom filled with old expensive toys, an enormous walk-in closet filled with silk dresses, a polished wooden door leading to a marble bathroom off in the corner, and a lovely window seat with goose down pillows where one could look out at a beautiful view. The truth was after a few hours of being cooped up there with the possibility of that psycho, Lucia coming in at any moment left a very uneasy feeling.

Luckily, he did not come up to see her again. The only one that did was just a lowly soldier who came to bring her a tray of food for dinner. Then as soon as he came, he quickly locked the door up behind him on the way out. She tried to get past him, but this soldier was far too fast and far too strong to get by. She learned that the hard way.

One of the many things that plagued her mind was, what had happened to this place? How could things have come this far? Haja was left in charge until her return, what happened to him, or the rest of the vassals?

A tear came to her eye as she tried not to envision Lucia and his minions taking over her castle and destroying anyone who got in their way. If her own home had fallen this far, how bad was the rest of the state? She doubted that they allowed the king to know about any of this, but how? How could anyone hide the hostel take over of an entire State? None of this was making sense.

All of a sudden, the girl was jolted out of her thoughts when she heard a small noise coming from outside her window.

"Puun. Puun."

She averted her gaze downward until her eyes met with a little dog. This wasn't any ordinary dog, however. This was a shorthaired symphonian plue dog. It looked like a miniature version of a snowman dog. Even its horned nose resembled a carrot. It was a breed that was only found near Symphonia and was considered rare in any other place in Inner world, and fictional in Outer world.

Elie took a closer look at the poor thing. It looked to be a stray. It was a little dirty and thin. The reason it was howling outside her window was because the little guy probably smelled her food that she didn't eat from dinner.

Elie had lots of food. She also had a place for him to take a bath and some warm blankets that he would probably appreciate. It looked cold out side. She was a prisoner in here and he was a prisoner to poverty out there. Maybe they could give each other company.

"Don't worry, I'll help you." She called out to the dog. She had to. What kind of a Grand Duchess would she be if she ignored suffering?

She grabbed some sheets off of her bed and tied each corner together to make a rope. She then proceeded to slowly release one end of her rope through the bars on her window until it reached the ground outside.

"Grab on. You can come inside." She called out to him. Plue dogs were incredibly smart. It understood Elie completely. The dog grabbed one end of the rope and proceeded to clime it until it reached the top. There was no way any human could fit through the window bars, but with Elie's help, the little guy squeezed right in.

The tiny creature yapped happily as Elie gave him a hug. "Puun! Puun!"

"Ha ha! Don't worry, you're with me now." Just then Elie's eyes went wide. An idea just struck her hard.

* * *

**You've got three guesses as to what Elie's plan could be and the first two guesses don't count. Well you'll see next Friday.**

**So I've introduced Belnika and Ruby into this chapter. I've decided I want to include as many characters that were in the original story line as possible and still be able to give them a purpose and not just have them be there for the sake of it.**

**It took me a while to figure out where to place these two in this story and I decided I'd make them a dynamic duo, like Keenan and Kel, Drake and Josh, etc. You know, two best friends who have big dreams and big schemes that usually provide less then successful and often humorous results. You can expect these two to add both humor to the story as well as good information that Haru and Let can use in their adventure.**

**As to anybody who thinks that Inner world sounds like a weird place, I have just one thing to say. It's my fantasy world and it will be as weird as I want, and it's only going to get more fantasy like from here so be prepared.**

**I'll be adding another one of the original main characters to the story next chapter. Try and guess who it will be!**

**Review for this story and I'll love you eternally!**


	9. Deep In The White Rabbit's Hole  Part 2

**Deep in The White Rabbit's Hole Part 2**

**Hey I finally own Rave master!... Just kidding.**

* * *

"Huff. Huff. I can't do it anymore…Just leave me here to die…" Belnika cried dramatically as she fell to her knees.

Let stood over her impatiently. "We've only been walking for about 40 minutes."

"Really? It seems longer." She moaned. They were currently hiking through a forest, and discovering that Belnika, while thin, was not in good shape.

"Look it's getting late. Maybe we should set up camp here in this clearing for the night." Haru suggested as he stared out at the setting sun.

It had been five days since they first entered Inner world and met Ruby and Belnika. They had gone through forests and prairies, as well as many other locations, but still they came upon no signs of civilization. Haru was getting worried. Was New Elie really that Far? They should have reached something by now. Still he kept his fears to himself not wanting to scare the others over his stupid doubts. Besides, he trusted his new friends. They knew where they were going.

As he shrugged his thoughts off he decided to split each of the chores up. "Okay, I'll get some thing for us to eat tonight. Belnika can set up the tents, Ruby can start a fire, so that means that you can look for some fresh water for us, okay, Let?"

"Got it, poyo!" Ruby saluted as he ran off to go get some wood. He jumped up and down as he tried to reach some branches on a tree to pull them off.

Belnika picked up more pieces of the tent then she could handle in her arms. Pieces would constantly drop from her grasp, and she had to continuously keep awkwardly keeling down to pick them up, once again showing off her less than gracefulness.

As Let watched Haru grab what looked to be a poorly made spear to go off hunting with he sighed. Haru made it too obvious he had never gone hunting before. The eldest teenager bet that even if by some miracle the boy did manage to catch something, he wouldn't have the guts to kill it. While Let was looking for a stream, maybe he'd get luck and find some fish as well so they wouldn't go hungry tonight.

As Let took his time, listening for any sound of running water. The walk in the woods was a nice break from his peers. Sometimes they could get a little too….kooky. Yeah, that was a good word for them.

Let hated the fact that he had to get both dinner and water for the group. When he came back he'd probably have to pitch the tent and start the campfire too. Usually he didn't have to do much. He just expected that others would get the job done themselves but he didn't exactly trust his friends with those kinds of responsibilities. Maybe it was just the effect this world had on him, or maybe it could be his friends. Most likely it was both. Anyway it was either do all the work or go to bed hungry, and cold tonight, and the idea of that was something he hated even more.

As he walked deeper into the forest Let listened to all the noises around him. The crickets chirping, the owls' hooting, even wolves howling in the distance. It reminded Let how creepy the woods could be at night, especially when one is walking through them alone. He decided he'd find what they needed quick then get back to his friends as soon as possible.

Finally the sound of cool rushing water softly reached his ears. He followed the sound in the direction that it was strongest, but as the noise slowly got louder another sound reached his ears.

Let climbed over roots, ducked under tree branches, and did the best he could to avoid getting scratched by twigs that jutted out in his narrow path. He was getting too curious. What was that sound? When he was so close that he could feel the air become more moist from the near by water source, he got his answer.

_"I heard there was a secret chord~_

_That David played and it pleased the lord~_

_But you don't really care for music…Do you?~_

_Well it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth~_

_The minor fold, and the major lift~_

_The baffled king. Composing. Halleluiah~_

_Halleluuuu~iha!_

_Halleluuuu~iha!_

_Halleluuuu~iha!_

_Halleluuuu~iuuuu~iha!"_

Let came upon a tall waterfall that fell into a lovely pond. In the moonlight, it was the most beautiful sight he had ever laid his eyes upon. The true beauty of it however was the mysterious woman who bathed herself underneath the waterfall. All Let could see was her silhouette, but from what he could make out she was a tall slender woman whose wavy long hair trailed down her back. She sang out in the most soothing voice Let had ever heard as she bathed herself.

Let concluded that her singing voice was what he had originally heard besides the sound of running water. That however, was the only thing that he had the ability to conclude, for he was too smitten with the amazing sight before him to think of anything else. He dared not move or make a sound; too afraid he might scare her away. Instead he just listened and watched this magnificent woman.

_"Your faith was strong, but you needed proof~_

_You saw her bathing on the roof~_

_Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you~_

_She tied you to a kitchen chair~_

_She broke your throne, she cut your hair~_

_And from your lips she drew the Halleluiah~_

_Halleluuuu~iah!_

_Halleluuuu~iah!_

_Halleluuuu~iah!_

_Halleluuuu~iuuu~i-"_

Suddenly she stopped singing. She stood perfectly still and that was when Let realized he was now staring into her eyes. She had spotted him. Her slender, crystal blue eyes shined like stars in the light of the moon. They went from shocked, to embarrassed, and finally landed on angry. Let had not notice the emotion in her eyes at first. He was still too enthralled by their beauty. What he saw next however, he certainly did not fail to notice.

* * *

"Gahhh! Hunting's hard!" Haru said to himself frustrated. He had yet to catch a single thing. He hoped the others were having an easier time doing their respective duties.

"WAAAHHHHHH!"

Haru jumped in the air. He was so startled by the sudden scream he heard ringing through the woods, he almost screamed himself. He tried to compose himself. Then the realization hit him. That was Let's voice. Let went in the opposite direction as him. He must be in so much trouble to scream so loud that it could be heard from so far away.

The worried boy bolted in the direction of the ear splitting noise. "Don't worry Let. I'm coming!" He said out loud.

As he dodged tree branches, jumped over rocks, and allowed adrenaline take his body over, he made great time getting back to the campsite. Unfortunately, he was going so fast that once he reached camp, he ran directly into Belnika. They bumped heads with each other and the un-graceful girl ended up falling right on her rear end.

"Ow! Haru?" She asked as she rubbed her butt as she looked up at him. But Haru had no time for awkward apologies or helping the girl up. "Guys did you hear that scream? I think Let is in trouble! Come on!" He quickly yelled and motioned them to hurry up and follow him as he hurriedly ran off in the scream's direction again.

Ruby did hear the scream. Understanding the gravity of the situation he grabbed Belnika's hand and pulled her forward off the ground as he hurriedly followed after Haru.

"Belnika, Let's go, poyo!"

The girl followed in her friend's path and held on to his flipper tightly, but sadly Ruby forgot how much shorter he was compared to his best friend and she was repeatedly conked on the head by low tree branches as she was dragged along by her hand. Still she did her best to keep up with him and not slow him down as her headache increased.

Haru ran as fast as he could until he saw some movement beyond the trees and heard the sound of Let's grunts as if he was in the middle of a loosing fight. Well whatever he was facing, Haru was sure they could get rid of it with their combined force. Upon laying his eye's on Let's attacker however, the silver haired boy's confidence diminished.

Let was currently staring wide eyed into the eyes of a large black dragon. It growled menacingly at him. Standing on four legs, it had to be five and a half feet tall and around 13 feet long from snout to the tip of its tail. Its unfriendly purple eyes bore into Let as it prepared to attack.

It charged at the teenager with both of its large claws outstretched. Let jumped back to avoid it, but in one solid motion, the dragon turned around 180 degrees and smacked Let across his torso with its tail, sending him flying back.

"Let!" Haru yelled out in concern for his friend. He charged at the beast himself. No one got away with hurting his friend.

The dragon somehow saw the teen's assault coming. It let out a swift kick with its back leg with the finesse of a skilled martial artist, the boy was also sent back, getting slammed into a nearby tree in the process.

"Don't worry, poyo. I'll handle this!" Ruby yelled as he charged at the beast ready to send a magical blast its way. Belnika was following in his pursuit only a few feet behind, and was also charging her magic at their foe with a magical blast in hand. Sadly, the duo didn't even get close to the dragon. As soon as the beast snapped its head in their direction, Ruby came to a skidding halt and turned around scarred, plowing over Belnika in the process of his escape.

It seemed as though nothing they did was strong enough to take down this beast. At that moment, the beast got up on its hind legs, ready to let loose an attack even more powerful than before. Haru sat up from his spot leaning against the tree. He clutched onto his stomach in pain and stared fearfully at the charging monster.

"W-wait! Wait! Stop this! We don't have to fight! We can just talk!" Let screeched in fear for his friend's safety. He ran in between the dragon and Haru in hopes of protecting him. Let put up his hands in a show of surrender and stared at the beast pleadingly.

The Dragon looked down at the desperate teenager trying to help his friends thoughtfully for a few moments, and then something amazing happened.

In only a few seconds the dragon's form shrunk and began to change shape. Its scales were replaced by soft peachy, tanned skin. Its wings somehow became the color of gold and smoothed out into soft, wavy hair and its menacing face became the face of a beautiful blue-eyed girl. The dragon had transformed itself into this beautiful naked woman who covered herself with her own arms.

She stared angrily at the group of friends doing the best she could to cover her indecent parts with her hands. The others could only look on in amazement with their jaws hanging open; even Let who had seen this coming.

Without saying anything or removing her eyes from this bunch of people who she deemed untrustworthy, she strolled over to a rock by the pond's edge. She removed one hand from her breast area, but still moved in a way where one could not get a good look, and reached down behind the rock. The woman pulled out some clothing and proceeded to put them on as she finally turned her back to the group of friends for the first time.

"Fine, we can talk. But if I hear, or you do something that I don't like, you can expect an ass whooping!" She called back in a sassy voice.

Once she was finally fully dressed, she walked back over to where the group was with her hands resting impatiently on her hips. She was donning a sleeveless, Chinese, light pink, silk shirt, black Capri pants, Spartan sandals, and an angry scowl. "Well? I'm waiting." She snapped.

"Oh." Let said as he was snapped out of his thoughts. "Well I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Let, and I think all of this is my fault. You see, I had no idea you were here and I just wanted to explain that I wasn't trying to peep. I would never do that to a lady. My mother taught me better than that. You just took my by surprise. I didn't expect to see anyone here. I was sort of like a deer caught in the headlights. I know I should have turned away but-"

"What are you talking about?" The woman cut off Let's embarrassing rant. "My dad sent you here, right?"

Now it was Let who didn't know what she was talking about. "What?"

Realization hit the woman. These people weren't here looking for her. They didn't even know she was a runaway. She held her face in her hand in embarrassment. "Oh man. Did I have you pegged wrong. I thought you… uh… Sorry for the attack."

Haru finally stood up to speak. "Listen, my name's Haru, and those two over there, cowering by that tree are Ruby and Belnika." The duo meekly waved their trembling hands to say I to her, but made no effort to hide their fear or get up from where hey were cowering on the ground. "Why don't you tell us your name?"

"Julia." She replied. "Listen I never would have attacked you if I had known that you weren't from my home State. I thought it was weird that I didn't recognize you. Although it is a little strange that I'd run into a dragon race not from the state of Makai out here."

Let looked at her weird. "A dragon race?"

"Don't deny it." She said. "I can smell what you are, and a dragon race nose never lies." She accused Let.

"I'm afraid I have no Idea what that is." He said.

This made Julia's eyebrows crease in thought. Were all of the dragon races outside of Makai like this?

"Y-you're from Makai? Land of the Symphonian dragon race?" Belnika asked timidly, still not getting up.

"Duh. Couldn't you tell from my kick ass, awesome fighting style? Makai is famous for its fighters!" She bragged, not telling them the whole truth that not exactly everyone in Makai could fight like that. But she still liked talking up her home state, even if she was technically running away from it.

"Cool!" Haru exclaimed, sincerely impressed. "Man, I bet you've got lots of fans back home for all of those awesome moves you did!"

Julia's face went red at that accusation. That actually wasn't true at all, but there was no way she was letting these guys know that.

"O-of coarse! They called me jumping Julia Runner!" She falsely bragged. "But I've recently decided to spread my talents to other states, so I left Makai to go traveling, seeking adventure."

"You're traveling states? So are we!" Haru yelled excitedly. "Maybe we could go together. Are you heading up to New Elie?" Haru really wanted her on the team. They may need someone with muscle in the future and Julia had more of that than anyone else he had ever met in his life.

"Hmm. I don't know. I mean sure, I haven't decided on which state to visit first, but still…" She pondered out loud.

"Please." Let pleaded, although he had his own reasons for wanting this woman to come along.

Julia thought it over for a few moments. It was clear these guys couldn't handle things on their own and as long as their travels never led her back home, it wouldn't be so bad.

"Alright. I'll stick with you guys for a while." She answered coolly.

* * *

Elie stood with her back pressed up against the wall. She held her breath in anticipation of what she knew was coming. Next to her, her dog plue stood mimicking her actions, with his own back pressed up against the wall. Together they kept their eyes on the door next to them, not tearing them away for a second.

The Grand Duchess had been working on this plan for a few days now. She wanted to do it right away, but there were a few more variables that she needed to figure out first, and this wasn't something that she could just rush into. Unfortunately, each day that she put this off she was running the risk of having another run-in with Lucia. Today was the perfect day to do this.

She discovered that the same person, that flunky who brought her meals, opened her bedroom door three times a day, just him. Every day she would receive breakfast at 8:00 Am, lunch at 12:30 PM, and Dinner at 6:00 Pm, each time on the dot, not a second later. This was the key to escape.

It was now 12:29 Pm. She gulped in anticipation. "Any time now." She whispered.

As usual at this time she heard the soft patting of footsteps and the rolling of the wheeled cart that carried her food. The sound got louder and louder as it got closer.

Finally the door swung open, almost hitting her and plue in the face. That flunky couldn't see her. She was hidden from his sight because of the door that he himself opened and shielded them.

The second the flunky took one step in the room his eyes went wide. He ran to the window completely forgetting the food cart that he just threw aside. The man found a rope made of bed sheets. One end was tied to a window bar; the other end was hanging out the window.

"She's escaped!" He yelled. In a nervous hurry he grabbed the rope and pulled it up. That's when he finally realized something. This rope was much too short to get her all the way to the ground safely and even if it was there was still no way she could have slipped through the bars. She was too big!

SLAM!

Elie had made her move. When that flunky was on the other side of the room inspecting her false escape attempt, she and her dog quickly dashed from their hiding place out of the room, locking the door behind them.

"HEY!" The man yelled once he was able to assess the situation. He ran to the locked door and furiously pounded on it, but the two escapees did not look back. Step one; get out of the room was complete, now to get out of the house.

Elie picked up her long, poufy gown as she ran through the halls, Plue on her heels. It wouldn't be long before someone heard that it was the flunky screaming for freedom instead of her. She needed to move fast.

As they turned the corner, coming to a fork in the hall, Elie stopped dead in her tracks as two new voices reached her ears from around the other corner. She panicked knowing that they were probably more of Lucia's guys. In her panicked state the girl's legs trembled. She turned back, and then turned forward, indecisive about where she should go. She was so scared she didn't want to think about what would happen if she were caught. They would lock her up in her room again, or worse!

Elie was too worried to think straight, but luckily plue was. He noticed an open door leading to another room on their left that Elie was too frustrated to notice. It may have just lead to a dead end, but it was still worth a shot. Plue jumped up at the girl and with all his force pushed her in, and shut the door behind her. He then ran behind a nearby decorative piece of pottery on a pedestal on the other side of the hall, just in time.

Elie listened as she heard the men walk by right where she was standing. She was very thankful for Plue at the moment and became a little worried for him now that they were separated. Okay, no more loosing my cool. I've got to think clearly if we're going to get out of here, she thought to herself.

She noticed she was breathing a little heavy from the close call and thought maybe it would be a good idea to back away from the door just in case they heard. Unfortunately, she noticed that something was pulling at her, keeping her in place. She looked down and saw that some of her dress was caught in the door.

They've probably already passed by here on their way by now, she thought. She was about to remove her dress from the door, when she suddenly heard yelling and loud footsteps coming her way fast. Oh no! They probably found out I'm not in my room!

Before Elie had the chance to do anything, the men were back outside the door in the hallway. This time they were keeping a sharp eye out for her. If she tried to remove her dress from the door they would hear the door open or see her, but if she stayed the way she was, they would see some of her dress sticking out of the door anyway and know where she was.

As the two men were arguing about where she could have gone, one of them did in fact notice some fabric lodged in a shut door. They stopped they're bickering and slowly and silently crept closer to the fabric with suspicious faces.

They reached for the doorknob, much to Elie's worst fear and just when they were about to twist the knob open, revealing the Grand Duchess-

CRASH!

Both men turned in the opposite direction only to see a broken vase next to a turned over pedestal. Soft footsteps were heard scurrying away from the scene.

"That's gotta be her!" One of the men shouted. They ran in the direction of footsteps, not knowing that it was a distraction created by Plue to lure them away so that Elie could escape.

The girl let out a breath that she didn't even know that she was holding in. Now that they were gone, she removed her dress from the door, and turned around to finally inspect the room she currently resided in. Luckily, it was not a dead end. There was a back door on the other side of the room that led to another hall.

She ran thorough that hall as fast as she could. Now that they knew she was not in her room. Who knows how many goons were running around after her? The hallway led to a staircase that led down the next floor. She took it only to hear the noises of other men shouting angrily that they needed to catch her.

She stopped dead in her tracks. Ready to go back up the stairs, when she happened to notice a rather large vent above her head at the top of the staircase. Normally she wouldn't be able to jump high enough to reach the ceiling, let alone pull herself up through it, but with the help of the large amount of adrenaline that was pumping through her, she was able to perform the miraculous feat in one swift motion.

At least she would have if, at the last second, she was able to pull her whole body through in time, but her heart skipped a beat when she felt a strong hand gripping at her ankle.

"I've got her!" She heard a man yell. Elie was feeling scared enough to scream. She felt herself loose a grip on the vent and get dragged back down, but she remembered that she needed to keep a level head. With all of her might she hung on to whatever she could grab in that dusty old vent and using her other foot to kick at the man holding on to her, she was able to free herself from his grasp and pull the rest of her body up through the vent.

She crawled as fast as she could through the dark and narrow space, hearing the voices of the angry flunkies resonate underneath her. She couldn't stop. She had to get out of there!

Only after a few minutes of what seemed like centuries of crawling, she felt the vent give way underneath her and she unexpectedly dropped to the floor bellow her. She was only momentarily stunned from the fall and in too much of a hurry to care about the bruises that came with the landing. She immediately got up and ran in the first direction she could see, down a nearby staircase.

At the bottom of the stairs her eyes lit up at what she was searching for the entire time, the exit out of the castle. She practically dove for the door, only to have all of her hopes dashed away by large set of locks adorning her way out. She pulled at them for a few seconds until it was decided that they wouldn't budge.

Still she didn't give up. This was her family's castle and she knew there was another exit not far from this one. She dashed in the direction of the hallway that would lead to it, when suddenly she heard the pitter-patter of footsteps coming from that same direction that she was headed. She wanted to turn around but more footsteps were coming from that direction too, and this time they sounded like a tramped. They probably all met up together to ambush her. She was surrounded, trapped like a rat!

When all hope seemed lost a wonderful sight came to great her. The first footsteps she heard coming from the direction that she needed to go was not made by a flunky, but were being made by her adorable dog, Plue. She beamed at the creature as she grabbed the little guy and ran for her life through the hallway, finally making it to her intended door. With no time to slow down she ran straight into the door and pushed it open with all her might. This door was not locked.

Finally she was outside the castle, but she wasn't safe yet. That group of goons was still chasing them. She did not lessen her pace for even a second, she continued speeding through the castle courtyard until she reached the tall brick wall, signifying that she was at the castle ground's borders.

She flung Plue over the wall, and using the vines that were growing on it as a latter, she proceeded to scale it like an American army soldier in basic training. Once she was at the top, she jumped down to the other side and with Plue beside her, dashed through into the forest outside the grounds.

By this time, the sound of those goon's trampling feet was getting farther away. It would appear that they were able to ditch them, but she still took no chances. She continued to run through the woods as fast as she could. By this time, Elie's beautiful gown was ripped up and frayed on all of the edges with dirt matting parts of it at the bottom. Tree branches and bushes jutted out in front of her path, scraping at her and ripping at her more, but she still persisted, too afraid to slow down.

It was only when she turned her head back to her small companion to check his condition, that she finally halted her running, but it wasn't because she had choose to. She had run directly into a person who had just seemingly come out of nowhere and surprised the poor girl.

Before anything else could happen, this person grabbed onto Elie's wrists, stopping her from falling over, and stopping her from getting away.

Elie looked up at this person with wide, fearful eyes. He just gave her a devious smirk.

"Well, look who we have here."

* * *

**If you know who it is that Elie just ran into then you are freaking psychic, because odds are, it's not who you're thinking. Feel free to take a guess though.**

**Does anybody recognize that song Julia was singing? I know I should have made up a song, but I'm a fan fiction writer not a songwriter, Dag nabit! Besides it's a nice mellow song, the kind that I would sing if I was bathing under a waterfall in the moonlight, but that's just me. I'm sure each of you has your own song for that occasion.**

**Everybody write in your reviews the name of that song and who originally sings it. The first person that guesses correctly, wins. Wait, what do you win you ask? I don't know, my mentioning you in the next chapter, and the knowledge that you are the fastest person with a search engine here? How's that? I'll give you one hint. That Song was played in the first Shrek movie.**

**All right! On your mark, get set; to your internet search engines of choice!**


	10. Deep In The White Rabbit's Hole  end pa

Deep in The White Rabbit's Hole End Part.

Guess who owns Rave Master? NNNOOOOOT MEEEE!

"Aw. Is the little rich girl far from home?" The strange man mocked. He looked like a total punk. His slick blue hair was tied back into a ponytail and he gave the girl, whose wrists he now held captive, a mischievous smile.

It seemed like every time Elie managed to get away from trouble, she would just run into more immediately. This man didn't look like one of Lucia's goons. He wasn't wearing a uniform like the others. She was able to pull her hands away from this thug and take a few steps back; she backed right into another man.

"Heh heh. You going somewhere sun shine?" This new man snickered. He had a green Mohawk and a pair of sunglasses covered his eyes.

Elie didn't answer. She looked all around her, only to find more vicious looking thugs coming out of the bushes. Some of them were holding weapons. It was an ambush and she was surrounded!

Plue jumped up and down in an attempt to get the new threatening looking gang of thug's attention, but they weren't interested in him, not when there was a pretty little girl all alone in a fancy dress here.

"W-who are you people?" Elie finally managed to speak. She was very afraid. At least with Lucia's men she had an idea of what they were going to do with her. These creeps appeared to be much more unpredictable and threatening. Her thin frame began to tremble, knowing there was no escape in sight.

"You mean you haven't heard of us? How rude of us not to introduce ourselves." Came a new voice. Suddenly a path opened up for a new face to walk in. The way he was able to get these thugs to make way for him was like Moses parting the Red sea. They stepped aside without question or signal for them to do so. It was obvious that this man was their leader.

He was a tall man with short, spiky, dark hair, and three piercing in his left eyebrow. His clothes resembled something between a knight and a gangbanger, and he had a silver skull necklace hanging around his neck. He gave Elie a cocky smirk.

"Well it seems as though your out of luck now lady. You're dealing with the Silver Rhythm gang." He told the girl as he towered over her. "Now if you don't want things to get scary for you, why don't you just give us your money."

"I- I don't have any money on me right now." She stuttered in fear, but stood her ground nonetheless.

"Ha! Yeah, right! A peasant girl just decided to put on your best clothes for a walk through the forest. Don't lie to us girly, we know you just came from that castle." One of the thugs spoke up in a mocking tone of voice.

"Yeah, and we know the only kind of people hanging around castles have dough to spare, so start sharing!" Another added.

The gang leader took a long glance at this girl very closely. Of course she was wearing a very expensive looking silk gown but it looked very torn up and had dirt matted at the bottom. It probably got that way from her running through the forest so fast, which led to another question. Why would she be running in such a dress? It was hardly the kind of clothes one would want to break a sweat in, and from her expression she looked as if she was just running for life. Finally he had to wonder why she was running all-alone. If she was a rich girl she should have a bodyguard, or an escort or at least have somebody with her, besides a Plue dog.

The more he stared at this girl the more he felt like they were making a big mistake. Thing weren't adding up. She didn't seem anything like the rich, upper class snobs they usually robbed. The poor girl was looking even more frightened by the minute under the gang leader's silent gaze. She waited anxiously for him to do or say something to her.

"What's your name?" The leader asked quietly so that only Elie could hear. She didn't answer. It was obvious she was still very nervous by the scary situation they had put her in and did not want to say anything that could make things worse for her. He knew if he wanted her to open up, he had to get her to calm down and trust him.

"Look. We're not gonna hurt you." He said in a surprisingly assuring tone. Elie wasn't sure if he believed him. She kept her guard up, but at least decided to answer his question.

"I'm Elie." She answered never breaking eye contact with the gangbanger.

"Okay, Elie. My name is Musica, I run this gang. Sorry if we scared you." He took his eyes off of her and turned all around to his men. "Okay guys, weapons down. Some thing's off here, and there's no reason to be scaring the girl!"

The men looked at their leader confused, but did as they were told.

Musica's gaze went right back to little Elie. He was a little worried for her. It was clear something was up. If she was in trouble, there was no way they would try to mug an innocent girl, even if she was rich. It just went against his moral fiber to do anything to a person who was already suffering. He had to get to the bottom of this mysterious girl.

"Elie, are you in trouble?" He asked concerned.

His question was answered by what happened next. A small group of men in uniform suddenly ran towards them. They came from the same direction that Elie had just come from and they looked mean.

"There she is!" one of the uniformed men yelled. "Grab her!"

Musica and the rest of his gang's confusion only deepened at the sight of these new figures swiftly approaching them, but Elie's eyes went wide in recognition immediately. Lucia's goons had caught up with her!

The men just pushed right past some of gang members, paying them no mind as if they were just part of the scenery. This made the gangbangers very vexed but they weren't ready to just charge into a fight with them just yet. They watched these new men to see if they could learn anything about this girl and what they had to do with her.

Elie tried to move away, but one of the uniformed men reached out and roughly grabbed her forearm hard enough for the girl to let out a small cry of pain. "This time we'll lock you in the dungeon, brat!"

Before anything else could happen, the one who had just grabbed the girl was smacked over the head loud enough for the sound to resonate all throughout the forest. Musica had just knocked him out cold with a large, thick, silver staff.

Elie looked up at him confused for a moment as she collected herself. She didn't see where he had just got the silver weapon from and was surprised by its sudden appearance, but she was more surprised by what she witnessed next.

Musica glared angrily at the uniformed men including the unconscious one. "I don't know who you guys are or what the situation is, but your momma would be pretty ashamed to know how her kid treats a defenseless girl!"

Musica would not hold back or hesitate anymore. It completely went against every fiber of his being to just sit back and not help a damsel in distress. He'd take care of these jerks and find out the story from her after that.

Suddenly Elie found herself being pulled back and staring at the backs of some of the gang members. They circled around her closely, not to trap her like before, but to form a protective barrier around her to separate her from danger. The ones who trying to mug her only a few minutes ago, were now trying to help her.

Four other uniformed men, besides the unconscious one, still stood ready for the gang leader. They refused to be intimidated by him.

"Alright men! Attack!" The middle one yelled. They ran charging at Musica with the intent to do serious damage, but he didn't look scared and neither did his gang. They knew Musica could handle it.

Before the men got even close, Musica's staff melted itself into a long chain. As if by a miracle, the silver chain launched itself at the closest uniformed flunky, nailing him square in the ribs. His eyes went wide as all of the air was knocked out of him and he fell to his knees trying desperately to catch his breath.

The silver chain flew back to Musica's side as if the weapon had never even heard of gravity. Musica didn't react to this. He was in complete control. Once again the silver weapon began to melt, this time morphing into a long pike. The remaining two goons had no time to react. They were still in shock from the gang leader's last display of taking their comrade down. In one shot, Musica swung the pike so hard across their skulls; he knocked them both out at once.

"I love it when he does that." Elie heard one of the gang members behind her say.

It was all clear to her now. Musica was a silver claimer, a skilled alchemist who could control and manipulate silver to be shaped and moved however he wanted. Elie had read about these kinds of people before in books but this was the first time she had ever seen anybody performing silver claiming in person. It was quite a terrific sight to behold.

"Y-you…" One of the men was still conscious and tried to get up. Musica didn't look worried though. This time he would stay down. Before anything could occur however, the same straggler let out a pained yell. The little dog, Plue who everyone had forgotten about just stabbed him in the side with his yellow horn. It wasn't a powerful enough of an attack to kill or even draw blood, but the sharp, unexpected jab caused the man to finally pass out.

Elie took a deep breath that she didn't even know she was holding until just then. She was out of that castle and away from danger now she just had to-

"Come on! Let's move it!" Musica yelled ruining her train of thought. He took Elie's hand and ran, guiding her along. The other members of the gang followed after them. Elie ran with him, still holding Musica's hand. She did her best to keep up the pace with these guys and not slow them down but it was still pretty difficult to move so fast in her dress, so she used her free hand to pick up some of the fabric off the ground so she wouldn't trip over it.

Elie stared back at Plue to make sure he was still there, following her, but Musica's voice once again jolted her out of her train of thoughts.

"They won't stay down forever. Stick with us and we'll protect you!"

She didn't argue. After watching him kick those jerks butts for her own protection she believed she could trust these guys.

Once they were at a safe enough distance away from those uniformed goons and far from even the castle's sight, the gang of boys gave Elie her space as they waited patiently for her explanation. This woman, who they were at one point trying to mug had peaked their interest, and they were too curious. They had to find out her identity and the reason why she was being pursued.

Musica was the first to speak up. "Okay Elie, would you please mind telling us who you really are?"

The girl looked at her feet, trying to decide where to start. Finally she made up her mind and mumbled out just loud enough for them to hear, "I am Grand Duchess Valentine, she who rules the state of New Elie for the Symphonian government."

The men stared at her for a few seconds with their mouths hanging open, until one by one they all broke out into laughter, mistaking her explanation for a joke. "You're pulling our legs!" one of the exclaimed. "Our state's Grand Duchess went MIA years ago."

They continued to laugh hysterically until Musica noticed her somber expression. He slowly halted his laughter when realization washed over him. The Grand Duchess disappeared because she was being pursued, he remembered, and she would be about her age too, not to mention the names match.

"Oh my God, you're telling the truth." He muttered wide-eyed, mostly to himself, but the rest of his gang caught it and one by one their own laughter subsided and their faced turned into an expression of disbelief.

When no one was able to say anything, Elie continued. "The king had sent me into hiding for six years after the murders of my mother and father. Just recently the people I believe are the killers caught up with me and locked me away in my own castle. I was able to escape and that's when I ran into you guys. Please tell me, what happened to my state?"

The gang was still in shock. They couldn't believe that the missing Noble woman was sitting right in front of them.

The girl looked at them desperately. Well if you won't tell me what happened here; at least tell me how to get to the Symphonian capitol. I have to speak with the king.

Musica stared at her for a few more seconds then all of a sudden an idea just hit him. It was a great, ingenious idea and he was proud of himself. "We'll do more than just tell ya, Madame, we'll give you a personal Silver rhythm escort."

Her eyes light up. "You will?"

"We will?" His gang asked the same question immediately after, but not with the same expression.

"We will, but on one condition." The gang leader added confusing the girl. "Anybody who rolls with us has to be one of us. You want us to take you anywhere, you've got to become a member of the Silver rhythm gang."

Everyone was just blown away by Musica's request of her, including Elie herself. "But boss, She's nobility! I thought we hated the upper class, all of the rich snobs and aristocracy!"

"Shut up!" Musica snapped. "We didn't create this gang out of hatred, we did it out of survival. Jp, when you were living on the streets, eating out of the garbage, who took you in without question?"

The thug he was addressing looked down at his feet ashamed. Everyone knew the answer. He didn't need to say anything.

"And Hebi, when you lost your parents, who made you feel like you had a family again?"

The thug Musica was addressing now sniveled at the sad memory. "Sniff. The Silver Rhythm gang did."

"That's right! All of us have had a pretty hard knock life! We've been pushed around and we want to be able to push back! Now here we see another poor soul who has had her own share of heartbreaks and tears and you just want to send her away for something so stupid as the family she was born into? Is this the gang of mutts I know and love? "

Suddenly all of their looks changed into that of determination and at the same time they all yelled "NO!"

As Elie listened to Musica's speech she couldn't help but feel her own heart breaking at that very moment. Their stories of poverty in her own state were so devastating. New Elie wasn't this bad before that it had gangs of mistreated young adults forming. How far had New Elie fallen since she was gone?

As she was mowing things over and the rest of the gang was rallying together, Hebi pulled Musica aside to speak with him. "Yo Musica, are you sure this is such a good idea?"

The gang leader smirked at him. "Hebi, the government my technically and legally owns the state, but come on, we run this place, huh?"

Musica was referring to their exploits and disregard for the laws with the ability to get away with it. "Yeah, man." Hebi answered.

"Well wouldn't you want to change that so we can run it in every way?" Hebi wasn't quite following so Musica explained it to him. "Dude, if we can make her into one of us and distill our values and all that into her, then when it comes time for her to take her place, we'll have a Silver Rhythm gang member running the show."

Hebi smiled at the thought. One of us in power? I like it. Way to think politically, Musica."

At that moment Elie stood up. She had made her decision. She had to get to the capitol safely and after what they did for her, she felt she could trust them. Traveling with them was her safest bet. "Okay, I'll do it! I'll join your gang!"

Musica beamed. "Alright my men! Say hello to our newest family member!"

All of the men cheered. She was the first female member of the gang ever.

"So what do you guys do?" She asked. If she was going to be a member, that was a pretty important thing to know.

"We steal." Hebi answered.

"Only from bad people who have loads of cash to spare." Musica added.

Elie didn't like the thought of stealing from anybody, but it seemed like they weren't the type to let anyone get hurt in their capers, whether they were on their side or not. Not unless they were provoked, and from how they had treated her, it seemed like they only wanted to rob bad people.

Elie smiled a little. Musica sounded a lot like a man from a story that she heard in Outer world. It was about a leader of a gang of thieves who also only stole from rich, bad people, only Musica didn't wear green tights. Actually in the story, didn't the man also help out a noble woman in need? I guess that makes me Maid Marian, Elie thought.

"So do you give the money that you steal to the poor?" Elie asked.

"Hey. What do you think we are?" Musica replied.

I guess that's where they similarities end.

"Alright, come on, hit me with your best shot!" Julia shouted at Haru as she took a strong fighting stance. Haru mimicked her pose. He took a deep breath and swung his fist right at her with all his might.

In less than two seconds, Julia swatted his fist coming at her with her left hand, then jabbed him in the throat with her right hand. The boy fell to the ground gasping in pain, making it a short lived sparing match.

Julia made sure she didn't hit Haru too hard. She just wanted to shut him down. He'd be fine. At the moment the dragon woman was much more annoyed with him than sympathetic for him. She glared down at his mess of a body on the ground.

"If I told you once, I've told you a thousand times. You don't swing your fist, you just drive it in! And keep your head down enough so that they don't have a good a shot at your teeth, but enough to still look them in the eye!"

It had been a few days since they met Julia. After explaining the awkward situation and getting to know each other better, they asked Julia if she wanted to travel with them. They were going to need some muscle on this quest and Julia was the strongest person they had run into yet. She agreed to join on one condition. She wouldn't be anybody's bodyguard. She'd show them how to protect themselves.

"Alright Haru, take five. Your up Let." Haru crawled away from his spot to sit by Ruby and Belnika. While the two outer worlders were studying combat, they were studying up on their magic. When the duo expressed that they felt they could do better in the magic department than the fighting department, the others resisted the urge to roll their eyes.

Let stood up from his spot where he was sitting and reluctantly walked past the pained Haru to become Julia's next victim. He stood across from where Julia was now standing and took his fighting stance. The woman looked at him thoughtfully before strolling over to him casually.

"Hmmm. That doesn't look right." She said as she moved behind him and placed her hands gently on his arms to guide them to the correct position. "You have to keep your hands up a little higher to protect yourself."

Let blushed at the contact from her soft hands. "Where did you learn this?" He asked.

The woman smirked at him. "I'm from Makai! That state is famous for putting out the best fighters the Symphonian military has ever needed. Us dragon race's are born tough! No one knows that better than a Makai vassal's daughter!" She exclaimed proudly.

"You're the daughter of a vassal?" Belnika asked excitedly at overhearing their conversation.

"H-hey… Maybe Julia's parents could help you two get into the vassal business." Haru said to Ruby and Belnika as he rubbed his sore throat, the pain was starting to ease up though.

The duo looked at him like he was crazy. "How could a Makai vassal help us become New Elie vassals, poyo?" Ruby said.

Belnika explained. Each Symphonian state is famous for specializing in their own kinds of vassals. New Elie vassals are known for being skilled magic users. That's why we want to go there. Only the best of the best wizards can become New Elie vassals."

"And once we're vassals, poyo, we'll learn all there is to know from the other magic using vassals too, poyo." Ruby added.

Let looked at them funny from where he was standing. "So you're planning to become great wizards in order to become a vassal…. so that one day you'll be great wizards?"

They were about to answer Let's question when they suddenly realized that maybe there was a hole in their plans. They mouths hung open while they searched their brains for an answer.

"Well your right about how each state specializes in their own kinds of vassals. Makai is known for their worriers, but only my dad's a vassal. My mom's just a house wife." Said Julia. There was a hint of disappointment in her voice but no one caught it.

"That is so cool. I bet my dad would have loved that." Haru exclaimed, thinking once again about his dad's opinion on things.

"Is your father into that kind of thing?" Belnika asked.

"I'm not sure. He and my mom died in a car accident a long time ago." He replied. "But he was into cool things and that is defiantly cool!" Haru exclaimed

Ruby looked at him sadly. "My mommy died when I was too small to remember her, poyo. My daddy works so much, it's like he's never around any way, poyo. But he'll notice me when I'm a famous vassal, poyo."

"Oh Ruby." Belnika looked to her friend sadly. She could not relate. Both her parents were alive and working their mundane jobs back home. Still, she felt bad for him.

"I remember before my mother died, she was always pretty sick, but that didn't stop her from doing the job she loved." Said Let. Everyone had long forgotten about their studying and had gotten pretty wrapped up in share time.

"What did she do?" Haru asked curiously.

"She was a woman's rights activist." He replied.

The Inner worlders looked at him weird, not knowing the term her used. Haru asked "You mean a feminist? Did she have protests, and not shave, and talk about how evil men are?" Haru had never met anyone who had dedicated their life to feminism or any one cause in particular, however from what he had heard about feminists, they weren't pretty fun people for men to be around.

"That's an ugly stereotype. The feminists who act like that are extremists. There's some in every group. My mother taught me that true feminism is the belief in gender equality. If you believe that a person should not be denied anything just because they were born into a certain sex, than you are a feminist. That's all there is to the definition. No reason to add anything else to complicate it."

Haru didn't believe that anybody should treated differently based on the circumstances of their birth. Of course he still treated women a little differently than guys. He still didn't think they should be denied any opportunities that men had. Did that make him a feminist?

"Well if women aren't allowed to be denied anything, poyo, than men should be allowed to do girly things without being made fun of, poyo!" Ruby said with his flippers crossed stubbornly.

Let laughed at ruby's stubbornness. "That's fair. Feminism also believes in taking some of the pressures that society puts on men as well."

"Well I certainly don't have any problems with having woman take on more tough roles. After all, the strongest person in our group is a girl." Haru said.

"Awww. Thank you, Haru." Said Belnika.

"I don't think he meant you, Poyo." Corrected Ruby. Belnika's smile fell at his comment.

"So cool." The female dragon race mumbled

Julia smiled as she listened to her new friends explain this foreign concept to her. It sounded like such a wonderful thing to her. She was so lost in thought, she had failed to notice that the conversation topic had changed.

"Are you okay with that, Julia?...Julia?...JULIA!"

Haru's shouting of her name snapped her out of her stupor. "Huh? What? Run that by me again." She asked embarrassed about her daydreaming.

"We decided after looking over the maps that the quickest way to New Elie is to cut through Makai. At the rate we've been traveling we should be able to cross the state boarders by tomorrow and since you've lived in that state before you can show us the way."

"WHAT?" The dragon woman exclaimed as her eyes went wide enough to almost pop out of her head.

"W-we can't go through there! I-I just came from that direction! The whole reason I agreed to join you guys was so that I'd get to see a whole bunch of new lands!"

"Well this quest is kind of important, and this is the quickest rout to New Elie." Replied Belnika. She showed Julia the map. It was true. Makai was right in between the New Elie and the Green state they currently resided in. To go around Makai would waste a lot of time.

"Don't worry," Let said. You can just show us the quickest way through and then once we're out of there, we'll get to see New Elie." The eldest teenage boy was a little confused about the woman's reaction to going back to her home state. Why didn't she want to go home?

Julia thought it over. She already promised she'd help them, and she guessed if they acted stealthy and avoided her home village the best they could, then maybe they could just quickly cut through without being noticed by anyone in Makai. It was a serious risk, but she was willing to take it. For the sake of her friends and for the mission of rescuing the Grand Duchess they told her about. She wasn't ready to abandon this quest or her new friends just yet. "Alright, I'll lead the way, but you all have to promise to do what I say without question!"

They all nodded. It seemed reasonable.

"Alright!" She said. Then she gave Let a playful punch to the gut. It didn't hurt too badly, but he still let out a small grunt. "Now that share time is over everyone back to work! Let, take your fighting position!"

Let rolled his eyes, with her leading them, this was sure to be an exhausting trip.

And that's a rap for story arc 3! Tell me what did you think? Did you like it?

Did anyone guess what story Elie was comparing Musica to. Come on, leader of bandits, green tights, steals from rich, helps poor, maid Marian? Jeez come on people!

The last bit at the end when Haru's group was having share time, The talk of parents and the definition of feminism will all be linked to the next story arc, I didn't want you to think I was just making filler, it's important to the upcoming plot, but you'll have to read to find out what it is exactly.

Now last chapter we played 'guess that tune' and the winner is….Tehsecretador! Whoo Hoo! Everyone give her a round of applause. Or don't, we can't see or hear you. I was a little disappointed by the lack of people who played though. Come on people! I've read my story stats! I know there are more people out there reading! REVIEW!

Next time: A Woman is like a teabag.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE review for me. It'll make me smile!


	11. A Woman Is Like A Teabag  Part 1

**Hey if any fan fiction writer discovers the secret to owning rave master let me know, because I still don't own it.**

**A Woman is Like A teabag Part 1

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Long ago when the kingdom of Symphonia was formed, the king split the land up into different states. He then placed families that he was sure he could trust to watch over their own state for him.

One state that stood out from the others was Makai. If any other noble family were given this state to control, they would believe they got the short end of the stick. Makai was a very mountainous region. The ground was hard and it was a challenge to grow anything for food. The mountains were at such a high altitude that very few people could stand to live there. Most would say it was horrible property, but when the Atagis family was dubbed the Grand Barren for this region, he thanked the king heartily and said the land was just perfect for his people.

There are only a few villages in the entire state of Makai and its inhabitants are all dragon race, people who could transform into dragons at will. Their powerful claws were perfect for digging up the hard ground much quicker than any other creature, and they could adapt well to the high altitudes and fly easily over the mountain peaks. The mountainous state seemed to suit their kind perfectly, like a round peg to a round hole.

It was though this dangerous land that Haru and company needed to go through if they wanted to get to New Elie. Skipping around this state would waste too much time that they couldn't spare. Luckily they had Julia with them, who was born and raised in this state. She would surely know the easiest way to pass through.

"Alright everybody listen up. I hope all of you got a good nap today because starting today we will be traveling at night and resting during daylight hours, and we won't be changing this routine until we get out of this state!" Julia yelled to her friends as if she was a general leading an army. They were literally only a few meters away from the border into Makai, and the sun was setting gracefully in the background. It matched perfectly with the gorgeous sunrise that they had woken up for.

Unfortunately nobody else was as enthusiastic as her. I was pretty late at night and they each looked quite tired. It was clear that they were not so ready to change their normal sleep habits.

"Yawn~ Why do we have to travel at night, Julia?" Let asked sleepily. Like the others, he did not get a good nap that afternoon. He hadn't taken a nap in years and he wasn't used to it.

"Because I told you to!" She snapped at him, not wanting to explain her true reasons. "Now look alive! The quickest way to go is to fly, and you and I are going to carry everyone, so keep your eyes open so you don't fly into a mountain."

For a moment Let believed that he was just so tired that he had heard her wrong so he decided to ask her what she meant by that. "Mind saying that again?"

"You heard me. You and I are the dragon races here, so get into your dragon form so you'll be big enough to carry the others!" Julia demanded.

Ever since the night they had first met her, she had been convinced that Let was a dragon race like her, although he gave her no prove of that and in no way encouraged her, she refused to believe otherwise, saying that her nose was always correct and that it told her what Let truly was.

"Ugh. Julia, I-"

"You know what you guys? You all can go take another nap or something, because it's clear that we're not going anywhere until Let finds his wings." She called back to the other people in the group as she pushed Let away to speak with him privately. Before she even finished saying anything, Ruby and Belnika were on the ground snoring, and even Haru was making himself comfortable.

Julia kept pushing Let until they were a little ways away from the rest of their friends. Let had been shoved all the way to the edge of a steep cliff. He tried to take at least a few steps back, but Julia just kept pushing him back to the edge every time he attempted it.

It wasn't as if Let was afraid of heights but anyone would be nervous that close to a mountainside cliff. Julia showed no fear however. She stared out proudly at what she saw lay out before her. "Let, take your eyes off of the ground (or lack of) and look directly ahead of you!"

Carefully, Let tore his eyes off the cliff side so he could see forward. He gasped in shock. It was such a beautiful sight that he momentarily forgot to breath. A vast region of mountains seemed to go on forever before his presence. The sun was almost completely set, just hiding behind one of the enormous peaks, outlining them so perfectly, as if to make the magnificent land glowing. So many colors splattered the sky and reflected off of the mountains so it was difficult to decipher where the earth ended and where the sky began. At that exact moment, Let truly felt as if he was on top of the world.

"This my friend is the border into Makai, our homeland as dragon races."

"What makes you so sure that I'm a dragon race?" Let asked turning away from the beautiful scenery so that he could look at the beautiful woman.

"Think about it! You were born with dark silver hair and yellow eyes. From what you guy have told me, that's not natural in Outer world. Well it is here. Not to mention the fact that you smell just like one. Come on! Haven't you ever been able to do anything that was above normal human standards, like be able to smell better, or run faster, or see farther? That's dragon race stuff!"

Let thought about it hard. Last week he would have thought all of this was just nonsense. Now after all that he had been through and heard, it was hard to understand what was impossible anymore.

Let 's mother never told him where she had come from. He inherited his eyes and hair color from her. He knew lots of things about his father, after his mother's death they spoke to each other more often and learned more about each other. There was no way he was a creature from another dimension, but his mother was such a mystery when to came to her past.

"Even so, I was born in Outer world. I've never been in dragon form before." Let was starting to consider the possibility that he could be an Inner worlder, but he wasn't quite there yet.

"That doesn't mean that you can't learn how to do it. Even if all you have is a single drop of watered down dragon race blood from some distant relative you're still dragon race and you can still fly." Julia insisted.

She came up from behind him and whispered. "Just find the little piece of you deep inside that can fly."

He closed his eyes and tried to block out any other sensation that surrounded him and attempted to seep into his thoughts. Find the piece. Find the piece. Find the piece, he concentrated. He searched every nook and cranny of his own soul to find that little part of him that Julia described, the dragon within.

After a few minutes frustration settled in and hope whore away. This was stupid. He'd never find anything like that inside of him! He opened his eyes and turned back to Julia.

"Let's forget about this!" He spat, a little nastier sounding than he originally meant to let out but he was also a little more frustrated than usual. He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up with such a fantasy idea. Just because all of this other stuff was going on in his life, didn't mean that, THAT was possible. Him? Part dragon? That's just ridiculous.

Julia smiled at the guy, in hopes of easing his frustration just a little. She wasn't at all affected by his rudeness. "Okay, I've got another idea. Let, when you're parents were teaching you how to swim, what did they do?"

Let's eyes went wide when he realized what she meant but before he could say or do anything, the woman swiftly launched both of her hands forward, pushing him off the ledge.

"They threw you in the deep end. Now find that piece quick or else!"

It took Let only a second to realize the gravity of the situation. His eyes watered as they went wide in fear. He forgot to breath as he felt the air whirl around him in a mess of chaos. The ground was coming up fast. He was going to die!

This was it for him! It was strange though. People said that when you die your life flashes before your eyes. Instead, Let thought of all that wouldn't happen to him. He'd never have a career, or finish high school, or start a family. It wasn't fair. It was like his past was gone. All that was left was his inhabitations and stretched out moment.

No! This couldn't be happening! He had to take control of this situation somehow. He had to take control of himself! He didn't care if it defied reasoning or logic, which was very rare for him because he lived through reasoning and logic. He wouldn't let this happen! He'd take control! TAKE CONTROL!

Let opened his mouth wide to let out a scream, but instead something else was unleashed from the back of his throat. A sound that he didn't think he had inside of him. It was a beastly, inhuman, roar.

Julia looked down at her handiwork for a second until it finally donned on her. She just pushed Let off a cliff! He could really die and it would be all her fault! Each second that nothing happened the guilt inside of her sunk down another mile. She couldn't take it anymore! She had to do something and fast!

Doing what she had originally intended to make Let do, Julia jumped down after him head first with every intention of saving him. Within a matter of seconds, scales replaced her smooth skin, her curvy form grew large, and her back sprouted the wings necessary to save herself and her friend from certain death.

She zoomed as fast as she could to the bottom of this deep, seemingly endless cliff, keeping her eyes wide open for the one she was looking for, silently praying she wasn't too late. She was so focused on who she was looking for, she was completely taken by surprise by what she just heard, an ear splitting dragon's roar.

The female dragon's head snapped in the direction of the sound's source, and she found who she was looking for. He did not look like himself however. Let's pale skin, had now become a dark green, his eyes glowed red and a long spiky, blond, main, grow from his head. His body grew large, even larger, than Julia's dragon form was, but only by slightly and his feet and hands sprouted long talons.

They were falling for less than a minute, but to them it was an eternity. Now they could see the bottom of this cliff, and they were reaching it very quickly. Finally, the very thing that could save Let's life sprouted from his body at last. Right before the unforgiving, ground could claim him, large wings outstretched from his figure and rescued Let from the harsh fall. He could not fly with them for multiple reasons, including he did not know how, but they slowed down his decent enough so that he only hit the ground with a gentle, yet clumsy thud.

Julia came down only a few meters behind him. She landed gracefully on all fours. Her eyes bore deep into Let's figure. He was a dragon. She smiled at the thought. She knew it. He was dragon race the whole time.

"Well looks who's scaly now, huh? Way to slum it with the dragon people." She jeered as she walked closer.

Let was at a loss for words. What could he say? He was a dragon! A whole other species of living being than he thought he was when he woke up that morning!

"C-cool! Is this cool?" He exclaimed, fumbling over his own words. It was just too amazing!

"If anything should be considered cool, this should be it." Julia answered, large grin still evident on her toothy, dragon, face.

She shook her head to snap herself out of it. Remember they had important work to do. They needed to get past Makai and Let needed some proper training. "Alright, you're a dragon! Now what do you want, a cookie for a job well done? You've got the right stuff, but do you know how to use it?"

The female dragon flapped her large wings a few times until her feet ceased to reach the ground. Before Let could say anything, she was off like a rocket, back up the cliff.

The new dragon male knew she wanted him to follow her, but he had never flown before. Heck, this was the first time ever had wings!

He tried taking a running start and flapping his wings at the same time. Soon his steps were fewer and farther in between. It wasn't long until he was gliding above the ground by a few feet. He was a little nervous, trying to keep his wings out for balance. It was a lot harder than it looked. He flapped his new wings, once, twice, with each flap he got a little bit higher.

The dragon boy felt like he was king of the world as he looked down at the world below him, getting further and further away from him. This is what people dream about, and he was truly doing it. He lifted his head up, only for his grin to be completely wiped off his face. He was so preoccupied with how good flying felt, he failed to notice the side of a mountain wall coming up really fast.

Crap! He didn't know how to turn! He was going to crash! As he was about to brace himself for impact, he felt something strong grab his right claws. He looked to his right to find Julia's dragon form right beside him. She was holding his claws with her own. Almost like a couple holding hands. Holding his hand tight, she gently guided him away from the mountainside and they both narrowly escaped crashing.

She held on to his claws for a few more minutes guiding him around through the air. It was like teaching a person how to ride a bike. She held on to him tight, giving him support, and not letting go until he said he was ready.

Let studied how she moved. Whenever she turned she would lower the left wing down and right one up so that she could go left. She lowered the right wing down and the left wing up to turn right. To go up she would point her head up, and to go down she pointed her head down. Let watched her with fascination until he gave her the signal to let go. He felt he was ready to fly on his own.

As the female dragon slowly let him go, Let tried to regain his balance. He was a little shaky at first, but after a while he smiled at the results he was producing.

"You're doing it!" Julia exclaimed, feeling proud for him.

"WHOO HOO!" Let had never felt anything so exhilarating before in his entire 18 years of living.

The two dragons practiced flying threw that mountainous area for another 40 minutes, completely losing track of time. Soon the full moon and the bright stars were the only light for them to see by. They looped around, played tag, and just fly in random circles so that Let could get the feel for flying. He was practically a natural. He was keeping up with Julia so well.

After a while, they decided to go back to where they had left their other friends. They were gone much longer than expected and they were probably worried about them.

"Race ya!" Julia called out to Let as she breezed right by him.

"You are on!" The male dragon called back.

The two of them zigzagged through the mountainous area like two excited little children. Julia was fast but Let was hot on her tail. Just as it looked like Let was about to catch up with her, the female dragon poured on the speed until she was out of Let's reach and his sight.

The male dragon was still determined though. He also poured on the speed as fast as his wings would let him. He was too late however. By the time he finally caught a glimpse of his racing partner, her large dragon form was already standing on the cliff they were racing for. As Let came to a shaky and clumsy landing on the cliff he panted. He still needed more practice.

"Okay… Huff… You win this round…Huff… but when I become better at this…Huff… You'll be eating my dust…Huff..." He panted heavily.

Julia did not respond, nor did she look at him. Her ears were matted down in apprehension, her body stood extremely tense, and her eyes were wide as she stared unwaveringly forward. She shivered slightly. Let had never seen her like this. She seemed absolutely terrified.

Let followed her gaze to see for himself what she was so afraid of and his own eyes went wide with shock.

Standing before them were two very large dragon males. One was very tall and red scales and a white main flowing down his back. The other was a very stout blue dragon with a short and spiky white main. They both looked to be about six feet tall and over 15 feet long. They wore mean, cocky grins on their toothy faces.

What was truly scary about them was not there looks but what they had done. Behind the two new male dragons were Haru, Ruby and Belnika, tied up tight with rope. They were taken prisoner.

"Hey, who're you?" The red dragon snapped at Let and Julia.

"Who are we?" Let shouted. "Who are you? And what do you think you're doing to them?" Let was furious at the sight of his friends being treated so shamefully. It didn't matter what was going on, they had no right to just tie them up.

They didn't look hurt. Haru was only slightly banged up but no worse for ware, it was clear he tried to fight them and lost. The duo just looked scared from how much they were shaking. From the looks of their less than bruised body, it seemed as though they were smart enough to stay away from a fight.

"We found these guys trying to sneak into our state without us knowing. When we demanded that they leave, they silver haired one tried to get by us so we had to teach him a lesson." The blue dragon scoffed. "Now you tell us, what regiment are you from? I don't recognize you from commander Runner's ranks!"

"What are you talking about?" Let demanded.

The red dragon snapped back. "Listen pal. I don't know what regiment you're from, but you've got no reason to use that tone with us when we found you out here smoozing your female, when you should be-"

It was then that the red dragon finally realized he did know one of these guys from somewhere. Not the dark green scaled one, but the black scaled female.

"Hey." he inquired the unusually silent Julia. "Aren't you Jeagan's girl? That female whose been missing for these weeks?"

That question was all Julia needed to take action. They knew who she was, and there was no way they'd let her leave now. Especially if they were from Commander Runner's ranks, the same one as Jeagan. She charged at the red dragon at full speed flight, only to stop a few feet away and kick out her tail in a surprise attack to his face. The red dragon was sent flying backwards and the blue one was left in shock at seeing a female pull off such a maneuver.

As quickly as she could, Julia scooped her tied up friends in her clawed arms and turned back to Let. "Come on! We have to go now!" She yelled to him as she zoomed right past him, friends clutched gently in her strong grip.

It took Let a second to process what was going on, but as soon as he figured out she wanted him to follow after her and far away from these guys, he took off in a flash. He'd ask her for an explanation as soon as they were safe.

The red dragon stumbled back to his feet. He held his hand to his face, trying to get his nose to stop bleeding. He glared at the direction Let and Julia flew off in. Meanwhile the blue dragon just laughed at his companion. "Ha Ha! Oh my God. You just got beat by a female!'

"Shut up!" The red one yelled. "You've got to go back to village and get Commander Runner. He's gonna want to know that his daughter's been located!"

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"What in the world was that about?" Shouted Let to the female dragon as they both soared away from the border and further into Makai at a breakneck speed.

"I'll tell you latter! Just keep your scaly ass moving!"

"Um. Guys I'd hate to interrupt but I think we've got company!" Belnika shouted from Julia's arms.

The two dragons looked back over their shoulders to see what exactly the purple haired sorceress was so afraid of. Their eyes went wide when they saw that red dragon coming up from behind them very quickly. He looked mad.

The red dragon opened his mouth wide and from the back of his throat came an enormous ball of fire headed strait in their direction.

"Watch out!" Julia roared at Let. At the last second she head butted her friend out of the flame's path. It narrowly missed both of them. Neither one was the least bit singed by the attack, but they could easily feel the heat of the flames on their flesh just from the close call.

The red dragon did not let up. He charged directly at Julia with every intention of going for the beings in her arms, but his time it was Let who struck the blow. In one foul swoop he punched the red dragon right in his long neck with all of his force.

It knocked all of the wind out of him, causing him to waver slightly in the air, but it did not bring the red dragon down, only fuel his anger.

He flew towards let, fury evident in his eyes. The red dragon had forgotten all about Julia and the rest of Let's friends, and made the decision to focus all of this violence on the dark green dragon alone. His rage blinded the red dragon. Time and time again he would breath fire, punch, kick, and snap at Let with his razor sharp teeth, and each time Let was able to narrowly dodge it. He had remembered everything that Julia had ever taught him about fighting.

Julia rested on another cliff far from the fighting dragon's view, but not so far that she could not witness the battle herself. Her eyes kept flickering over to the fight as she attempted to untie her friends. The distraction caused her to accidentally scratch Belnika with her claws while untying her, but she wasn't badly hurt, and Julia was too focused on the battle to notice anyway.

She knew that her fighting lessons were paying off as she watched to two male dragons go at it, but she still couldn't help but be a little worried for him. Just then Julia felt something wiz right by her and heading strait for the battle. When she saw what it was, her worry increased ten fold. The female dragon flew up to the fight leaving her other friends behind on that cliff. Let was defiantly going to need her help with this one!

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For the past five minutes the two male dragons battled it out fiercely. Blow for blow, hit for hit, they began to slowly ware each other down. The red dragon was getting sloppy from his unfocused rage and overuse of his power. Most of his strongest attack didn't even connect, and now he was slowing down.

Let took this as a perfect advantage. Julia had always taught him that it is better to use a fraction of your strength and just aim for his weak points than to waste all of your power in one single strike that may or may not hit. This was why he was not nearly as exhausted as his adversary.

Now while the red dragon was busy trying to catch his breath, Let went in and head butted him so hard, it sent him flying into a mountainside. He was much too dazed to get up from a blow like that.

Let let out a large sigh, grateful that the fight was finally over. Any more of that and he would probably be eating mountain too.

He was just about to relax when a force so strong collided with him and knocked all the wind out of him. The next thing he knew, Let was being slammed into a mountainside so hard, the earth shook slightly with the impact. The teenage dragon male opened his clenched eyes to get a look at what exactly hit him when he felt something else slam into him, this time it didn't get off. Let focused his eyesight until he discovered he was face to face with another dragon he had never seen before.

This dragon was black, and much bigger than any of the others. It was probably about 8 feet tall and 20 feet long. Both his fierce gaze and sharp claws bore into Let, causing him to loose all of his nerve.

The large beast shouted angrily, "I'LL TEACH YOU TO ATTACK MY MEN!"

A fireball could be seen forming in his mouth aimed toward Let. The young dragon's eyes went wide with fear. There was no way of escaping it.

"DADDY!"

The large dragon ceased his attack right before it could do any harm. His eyes went wide as he turned his head to the direction of new voice only to find Julia hovering above them in her dragon form.

Let was completely forgotten about with the sight of the female dragon. The large beast swiftly got off of him and flew towards her. Let released a breath that he desperately needed to let out. That was too close.

"Julie!" The large black male dragon exclaimed as he embraced the female in a tight hug. They both had to lower themselves to solid earth because the hug caused them to loose balance in the air.

"Where have you been? I've had my men looking all over for you!"

All of Julia's friends, including the one's who could barely see from the cliff's angle that they were standing on, had their mouth's hanging open in amazement. That giant beast was Julia's father?

"Oh, daddy I'm so happy to see you! I got lost while flying and these nice people helped me back here! But…But then your big mean subordinates came and attacked us! I was so frightened!" Julia cried out in explanation. Everyone's mouths hung open even wider at the sound of her outburst. That was so out character for her!

"Oh, my poor little girl." Her father cooed.

The enormous beast turned his head in the direction of the red dragon that Let had defeated. He was just now starting to get up, but at the sight of his commander's hard glare, he was about to wish he had just played dead.

"PRIVET, YOU KNOW THE LAW THAT VIOLENCE IN FRONT OF A WOMAN IS STRICTLY PROHIBBITTED! THE POOR DAINTY CREATURES CAN'T TAKE IT. NOW TELL ME WHY YOU WOULD DO THAT IN FRONT OF MY DAUGHTER OF ALL PEOPLE?"

The red dragon shrank back under his commander's harsh tone and evil gaze. He fumbled with his words trying to come up with any answer. "I-I, well, uh, Sir I was just…"

"YOU ARE A DISGRACE!"

Julia snickered at the sight of that jerk getting yelled at by her father. All she had to do was play the 'sweet, helpless girl in front of her dad, and he'd always take her side, well almost always.

When Julia's father was finished giving his cadet such an earful that the poor guy almost whimpered, he flew back to the place where had left Let. At first Let was a little petrified at the sight of him coming closer. After hearing him just scream that other guy's head off, and almost being killed by him, he wasn't exactly happy to see him coming back his way.

Luckily, Let did not get the treatment he was expecting. Instead he was shocked to see the giant black dragon outstretch his hand to help him off the ground. He gave Let a friendly but toothy smile. "The name's commander Runner, vassal to the Baron of Makai, pleased to meet you, son. Thank you very much for looking after my daughter while she was missing. We could use a couple more guys like you in the barracks"

Let stared at the clawed hand in shock before speechlessly accepting it. "M-my name is Let, sir."

Well now I can't just have you leave without showing you some hospitality and apologizing for my INCOMPITANT cadets actions. Why don't you come back to the village and I'll treat you to a nice meal."

Let could see Julia shaking her head 'no' franticly behind her father, signaling that he should definitely refuse.

"Well, sir I'm not so sure-"

"Well I am. My wife's a great cook and your other friends can come too."

"YES, POYO! FREE FOOD, POYO!" yelled Ruby from where he was. Julia shot him a nasty glare, but the penguin didn't seem to notice it.

"Then it's settled. You can take a load off, meet the family, tour our village, oh and you can meet Julie's fiancé too. He's been looking everywhere for her."

Let and Julia froze in place and their eyes went huge at that word, like a record was unexpectedly pulled off of the player. Julia's face went red with embarrassment and Let, twitched a little.

"Um…Did I just hear you say f-fiancé?..." He asked hoping he had heard wrong.

"Yup. My little girl's getting married pretty soon, and to the best soldier in my ranks, his name's Jegan."

* * *

"Ohhhh! My poor baby! You must have been so frightened!" Julia's mom cried out on her family's front door step as she wrapped her arms around her daughter so tight, it looked like the girl would loose consciousness. Every dragon race there was currently in human form.

"Yeah. I'm fine mom." She squeaked out.

Julia's mom was almost the splitting image of her daughter. The only differences were that she was older than Julia by about 25 years, and that Julia had actually grown taller than her mother. The woman wore her long blond hair into a tight bun with only a few wisps of bangs falling out, and a bright orange kimono, that she was currently getting wet from her tears of joy.

"Oh my goodness! Julie, what are you wearing, sweet heart?" Her mother pulled back slightly and looked down at her daughter's Capri pants. "Pants are boys clothes! Come inside so you can change into a dress before some one notices and you get embarrassed!"

As her mother dragged her into her house, Julia turned her head back to her snickering friends and gave them a glare that clearly signaled that she didn't want them to say anything.

Julia's house was quite the quaint little home. It had just the right amount of rooms. Exactly two bedrooms for her and her parents, a living room, a kitchen, a small dining area, one and a half bathrooms, and a few closets scattered around the place. It was not too big, and not too small. Everything was so neat and tidy and the décor was so homey, it wasn't hard for anybody to feel comfortable. Next to the house was a sweet little vegetable garden. It was the nicest place for a family of three to live, which made it even harder to imagine why the female dragon race ran away.

"Now everybody sit, make yourselves comfortable. We'll eat as soon as Jegan gets here." Julia's smiley-faced mother cooed.

Let couldn't help but cringe inwardly at the thought of Julia about to get married. She just didn't seem like the type of person to settle down at this early of an age. She just seemed too ambitious; like there were so many things that she wanted to do first. Let was a little anxious to meet this Jegan jerk, I mean guy. He must be quite the man to get someone like Julia to agree to marry him.

Mrs. Runner prepared tea for everyone to enjoy as a pre-meal treat. She did everything she could to come off like a perfect hostess.

"So Julia, what is Jegan like?" Haru asked casually.

The female dragon race let out an exasperated sigh. "Heck if I know. I've never really gotten to chance to talk with him before.

A thousand alarms went off in Let's head when he heard that statement. He spit out his tea in shock all over poor Belnika, who sat next to him. The hot tea burned.

"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED TO A PERSON YOUV'E NEVER TALKED TO BEFORE, POYO!" Ruby screeched.

"Oh don't worry." Commander Runner said as he put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I wouldn't just let anybody who asked me for my little girl's hand to take her away. Jegan is the strongest fighter working in my regiment. I couldn't have picked a better man to take care of her."

Julia stayed silent at her father's proud remark.

At that moment a knocking could be heard from the front door. "Oh that must be him!" Mrs. Runner got up and strolled to the front door. Before opening it she turned back to her daughter and whispered out loud, as if the one on the other side of the door would hear her. "Julie, go change now. You wouldn't want him to see you wearing that."

The young woman did her best to contain an aggravated groan as she got up and went to her bedroom to change into something that was deemed more appropriate in this state. Let silently watched her leave.

Mrs. Runner happily opened the door revealing a man only a year or two older than Julia. He had blond hair that fell evenly to his shoulders. His cold brown eyes were void of any true emotion, and he was wearing a brown, Chinese martial arts uniform. Maybe it was because Let was bias, but he thought that this man looked like the scum of the earth.

"Hello. Welcome to our humble home." Mrs. Runner greeted as she bowed slightly to the man and allowed him to come in.

"Everyone, this is privet Jegan Jeid, the man who is going to make my daughter so happy. Jegan, these are the people who brought your bride home safely."

Everyone muttered an individual greeting to Jegan as they looked to him. The man just scoffed at them. "Have none of you any manners? You should stand to greet someone for the first time."

The boys were a little taken back by Jegan's cold tone of voice, except Belnika. She stood up and out stretched her hand for the male dragon race to shake. "Oh I'm sorry, you're right. Where are my manners? My name is-"

"Were you given permission to speak, woman?" Jegan snapped.

Ruby and the outer worlders stared at him with a face that clearly stated that they were both shocked and offended by Jegan's rude disposition. Julia's parents seemed to take no notice by it.

"Where is my bride?" He asked with no intention of apologizing or even recognizing his offensiveness.

"My daughter is currently getting ready for dinner." Commander Runner replied. "You will have to forgive her. She just wishes for a few more minutes to look perfect."

"I see. When we are wed, I will have to teach her how to be more punctual."

Let couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did Mr. Runner block out half of the things that this ass said? How is he allowing his daughter to marry him, Let practically screamed inside his own head.

At that moment soft footsteps could be heard slowly entering the room. Standing in front of the entrance to the living room was Julia. She wore a very sliming pink kimono with a blue flower pattern. She stared directly at her fiancé, showing no emotion and then she bowed slightly as she said in a monotone voice, "Hello, it is nice to finally meet you face to face good sir. I am Julia and I will do my best to your ideal wife."

None of her friends could believe what they were seeing. This dainty little flower of a girl was nothing like the bossy, loud, and brute of a fighter they had come to know.

Jegan looked to his fiancé and without taking his eyes off of her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a crystal ring. "I have carved this engagement ring myself using my bare claws. I wish for you to wear it always as a symbol of our bond together. It shall be used as prove that you will from this point forward be my mate."

Jegan reached over and grabbed her hand. He slipped the ring on her left ring finger gently. It was a beautiful crystal that almost resembled a smooth diamond. Adorning the ring were four different symbols.

Julia brought her left hand up to her face and stared outwardly emotionless at the piece of jewelry. It was truly beautiful. It wasn't hard to see that he worked hard on it, but as she looked at the item on her finger all she could see was the end of everything she ever dreamed for.

* * *

**Longest chapter I've ever written! Almost 7000 words!**

**First thing I want to say is that you probably won't see Elie or Musica in this story arc. Don't worry they'll come back next arc, but this one specifically revolves around Let and Julia. Some arcs will do that in the future, center around one or two character's specifically. I know it's called 'Grand Duchess Valentine', but even the rave master shared the spotlight with his friends in the original series.**

**For now Elie's just hanging out with the silver rhythm gang, learning the ropes of being a gangbanger in the mean time. You'll see how that's going for her in the next arc.**

**Now for this arcs's title, 'a woman is like a tea bag." That's actually part of a famous quote, and it ties into the feminist theme that we will be going into in this story arc. It's one of my favorite quotes and I happen to admire the person who said it. It doesn't make much sense now but at the end of this arc I'll tell you the rest of it and who said it. For those of you who know or have already heard this one, please don't spoil it.**

**Don't forget to review. A new story arc means that for now the story is going into a new direction, so that means I'm going to need some feedback, especially since this one is going to be pretty different from the other one's. So I really need you to tell me if you like what's going on so far, or whether you want me to just hurry up and get on with the next one. I'm not quite sure about this arc.**

**Thank you!**


	12. A Woman Is Like A Teabag  Part 2

**A Woman is like a teabag part 2**

**Since my name isn't Hiro Mashima, I guess that means I don't own Rave Master.

* * *

**

Dinner was rather quiet. Everyone sat at a long dining room table that had a few extra chairs added to the sides because of the extra visitors but nobody felt squished in. The only sound that could be heard was chopsticks coming together. The group of travelers had quite the time trying to figure out how to use the new utensils; Ruby especially became frustrated because of his lack of fingers.

Haru's eyes shifted all through out the room. He pondered a good conversation topic to lighten the mood. "Um, so… Commander Runner what's it like-"

"There is no talking at the dinner table." Jegan quickly cut in to silence Haru.

Haru was pretty shocked to hear that. No talking at the dinner table? What an un-natural thing for a family to do. When he was at home, his uncle and older sister would go on about their days while eating dinner. It wasn't long before they were all laughing and a meal that normally would have taken 15 minutes to eat, would take an hour. This silence was not something Haru was used to.

"Now it's alright Jegan. He does not know of our culture." Julia's father interjected. "But I do have something important to tell you all. The baron himself has offered to perform the wedding service! I asked him the day after Privet Jegan asked me to marry you, Julia."

"Oooohh! What an honor!" Mrs. Runner squealed.

"Oh pardon my outburst." She stopped herself from getting too excited. Mrs. Runner, like all female dragon race learned that it was un-lady-like to raise her voice above that of normal speaking level for any reason. Her husband gave her a smile that clearly said he had pardoned her for it. After all it was great news.

"This calls for a toast." The commander exclaimed as he rose from his seat. "I shall get the wine. Would you please get the dissert, dear?" He addressed his wife.

"Of course." She also rose from her seat and went into the kitchen, leaving the younger people of the table alone with each other.

"Belnika looked to Jegan and spoke. "So we are told that you are Commander's strongest recruit. How long have you been working under hi-"

"This is twice, woman that you have spoken without being spoken to first! Do all human woman not know their place?" Jegan snapped.

"Hey calm down! She was asking a simple question!" Haru snapped at him.

"What do you mean her place?" Let seethed, although he was sure he already knew the answer. Julia kept silent the entire time. Her head was down just low enough that no one could see her expression.

"Women are fragile beings that need men's guidance. Therefore they must show respect and gratitude." He answered.

Let could not believe what he was hearing. This guy was Julia's fiancé?"

"What are you talking about?" Haru asked confused. "Julia's got to be the toughest fighter I've ever seen."

"A female fighter? How absurd. Don't fill my bride's head with such nonsense. She knows what she needs to, and that's all. Her delicate mind needs protection from thinking such frightening things like having to fight." Jegan spoke as he reached over and touched his fiancé's hand. She didn't pull away, but she didn't allow him to see her face either as she turned her head away from him. This action only made Let angrier.

Not knowing what to do next, Julia sat up and with a slight bow simply stated. "Would it trouble anyone if I were to step out side? Truly it is a warm evening and I do believe the air would be good for me." She used every bit of acting skills within her not to show what she was really feeling.

"I shall escort you." Jegan offered as he stood up from his seat at the table.

"Thank you, but I shall be fine. I do not want you to miss dissert just for me. Please sit down and enjoy yourself. I will come to you if anything should happen." She replied.

At that moment Mrs. Runner came back with a warm blueberry pie she made herself. Unfortunately she did not count on Jegan standing right there, and she walked right into him, dropping the pie and staining his clothes.

"Oh goodness, I-"

"Are all females forgetting their manners tonight? If you were not my commander's mate, I would teach you a lesson! For the sake of all of the future son's Julia will bare for me, I hope they will not inherit your insolence, woman!" Jegan yelled at Julia's mom.

Mrs. Runner's eyes went wide with fear and regret for what she had done to him. At the sight of her poor mother's terrified face, Julia wanted to grab Jegan by the throat and smash his head against the dinner table until a big red stain appeared. How dare he speak to her mom that way!

It wasn't fair, Julia thought. If only she was male. Then she could say and do what she wanted, not just grind her teeth and bite her tongue when something like this happened. She had to get out of there before she did something she would regret. She turned around and subtly stormed out the door, like she had planned to earlier.

No one noticed Julia's anger. They were all to busy watching Jegan's rage at his stained clothes. The only person to see Julia leave was Let and he couldn't blame her. He was furious at the moment too. In fact, he decided to take a queue from Julia and storm out of there himself. He followed in her direction.

* * *

"BRRRAAAAAHHHHH!" Julia screamed into the night sky. Letting go of all the frustration within her, she let out a large fireball from her mouth and aimed it upward.

The woman stomped her feet and threw a temper tantrum like a little child who was sentenced to her room without dinner.

"THIS SUCKS! I CAN'T SPEND ONE MINUTE WITH THAT ASS HOLE! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH HIM AND HAVE HIS FRIGGEN KIDS?"

"Then why did you say yes?"

Julia turned her head in the direction of the male's voice so fast that she almost got whiplash. She calmed herself down when she discovered that the male's voice belonged to Let who was standing a few yards away, and not someone who would get her in trouble for acting un-lady-like, but even though she wasn't surprised anymore, that didn't mean she wasn't angry anymore.

"You weren't supposed to hear that! I was talking privately to myself, and what are you talking about? Said yes to what?" Julia snapped at him.

"Say yes to marrying him! The man is a complete and utter prick with a capitol P! What could have possibly possessed you to take that damn ring? Are you mad?"

"Awe, Shut up Let! You don't even know what you're talking about!"

Let walked a little bit closer to her, closing the distance between them. "I would know if you would just enlighten me!"

"It's none of your Business, ass face!" Julia screamed as she gave Let a rough shove back, causing him to fall down on his behind.

Let glared at the woman with eyes that clearly showed that he had had enough of her behavior. Just as Julia was about to storm away, Let got up and shouted at her.

"HEY!"

Julia turned around to see what the man had to say, only for the most unexpected thing to happen to her. Let had just pushed her on to her butt the same way she had just done to him.

Even though she was staring right into Let's eyes when he did it, she had never saw that coming. No one had ever done that to her. After the initial shock wore off, she got up and yelled at Let.

"You can't push me! I'm a girl!"

"Calm down! I didn't push you any harder than when you pushed me! Besides, remember equality among genders? Well it doesn't get any more equal than-"

Let never got to finish his sentence. Julia charged at him in revenge for his last assault, knocking them both over in the process. The next thing either of them knew, they were both rolling threw the grass, tumbling on top of one another. She squealed, and he yelped in surprise as the continued to roll on and on.

Finally they came to a halt. The male dragon race landed in the grass with a soft thud and the female landed right on top of him. They both stared at each other face to face for a moment, trying to get their breathing under control from that unexpected ordeal. Then without warning, they both just suddenly burst into laughter. Neither of them knew what was so funny. Laughing just seemed appropriate for the situation. They laughed loudly and heartily for a full minute until they had to catch their breaths again.

Julia slid off of Let as she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Me too, I mean I'm sorry." Let replied.

They both lay on their backs for a few minutes, looking only at the beautiful stars that lined the gorgeous night sky. The mountain air was so refreshing. They were both in silent bliss.

Unfortunately, the moment did not last forever and Let still had questions for her. "Just tell me Julia, why are you marrying him? It just doesn't seem to fit you."

The woman sat up as she contemplated how to answer that. "In this state, women are given considerably less rights than men."

Let stared at her as she explained

**(Flash back to a few weeks ago.)**

It was exactly 5:00 Am on a Wednesday morning and Julia was already out of bed and ready for the day. She wore the same out fit that she always wore every morning, a pair of black Capri pants, Spartan sandals, and a silk Chinese sleeveless shirt. She could not let anyone know that she owned a pair of pants. I mean come on, girls wearing pants? Ridiculous!

She tiptoed quietly out of her bedroom and past her parent's room. Her father had already left about 15 minutes ago, so she didn't have to worry about him, but her mother was still sound asleep at this hour.

The young female dragon race slipped out the front door and made sure to shut it quietly behind her, trying not to make a sound, Just as she did every morning. When she was out of the house she looked around the empty street, just to be certain that no one was looking. Of course, there was no one, that was to be expected at this time, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

When she knew the coast was clear, the young woman quietly transformed her beautiful, human-looking body into that of a large dragon. It was at times like these that Julia was glad to be born with a black dragon form. It was much harder for anyone to spot her before daybreak. Quietly, the female beast spread out her massive wings and took flight, heading in the same direction that all of the male dragon races over the age of 13 just did 16 minutes ago.

It only took her about 5 minutes to get there by flight, and Julia made sure to land not exactly in the training grounds, but about a half mile away. This made it even harder for anyone to spot her. She then changed back into he human figure and jogged the rest of the way, giving herself a good start to the long and strenuous exercises to come.

The young woman jogged her way up to a tall-wired fence. It was to keep out any intruders. Dragon races hated to be disturbed during their training. That was just fine for Julia. It meant she could see them, but they would be too distracted to see her, perfect!

In Makai, it was a law that every male dragon race was to join the army when they came of age. When they turned 21 years old and completed basic training, they could choose to either quit the army or become a vassal for the Grand Baron of Makai. However this was for the male dragon race only. She couldn't let anyone find out she was there.

The young female dragon race stared in awe at the strong men before her. They were all in dragon form, standing in a perfect line, not moving an inch unless they were told to do so. They were all good soldiers. Julia may have hated their customs, but deep down she was very proud to be one of them.

"BLOCK!"

"HYA!"

"PERRIE!"

"HYA"

"BLOCK!"

"HYA!"

"PERRIE!"

"HYA!"

Standing in front of all of the rows and columns of dragon soldiers, was Julia's father, Commander Runner. A swift movement and battle cry would follow up every order he gave from every cadet there. Standing behind him were a few of the other senior members of Makai's army who were lucky enough to have made it to the title of vassal, and behind him was the Grand Baron himself, supervising the training silently.

"COME ON!" One of the other Vassals shouted. 'YOU'RE ALL WORTHLESS AND WEAK!" Yup, this was boot camp.

Julia watched on and mimicked every move they made. No one noticed when she gave out a battle cry. There were too many shouts to notice just one, and she was way in the back, beyond the fence, no one would hear her anyway.

For the next five hours, Julia mimicked every move she saw. Every push up, every kick, every punch, she paid close attention to every thing they did, even in the exhibition matches. She trained with the same intensity as any other man out there.

"OKAY, YOU SISSIES! TAKE FIVE!" One of the vassals shouted.

Some of the newer, younger recruits fell to their knees from exhaustion. One five-minute break, every five hours? That was going to take some getting used to on their end. Julia had been doing this for a while so she was all right. She wiped some sweat of her brow and looked out at the soldiers. The young ones, the senior ones, the blond, yellow eyed ones that were staring right at her.

"OH FRICK!"

A thousand alarms went off in Julia's head when she realized she was staring directly into the eyes of one of the cadets! In all of the years she had been doing this, no one had ever seen her. No, no, no, no! She was in deep shit now! She looked around as if looking for some way to get out of this predicament. The only thing her frazzled mind could come up with was getting the hell out of there! And so she turned in the opposite direction so fast, it made her head spin. She charged away from the area like a speeding bullet, not looking back once. She was already half way home when she remembered she could just fly there.

She flew like a rocket until she reached the village and turned back into a human-looking creature. She got many stares from the people she passed by, because of both her strange attire for a female, and because she was running like a maniac.

She headed strait for her family's house, and being very thankful that her bedroom window was unlocked; she opened it and jumped right through it, landing ungracefully on the floor in the process.

Within seconds the young woman was off the floor and shutting her window tightly, locking it up behind her. She them pulled down the shades, as if somebody was following her this whole time, and by locking her self up in her room would keep her safe.

Finally after all of that, she stopped to take a breath. She didn't even realize that she was panting heavily.

"UGH! I really need a bath right now!" She wailed as she tried to shake off these freaked out feelings.

She reached into her back closet and pulled out a large washtub. After getting it completely set up, She went out into her back yard to the well. After making several trips of pulling up buckets of water to fill up her washtub, it was completely full and ready for her.

Trying to get some normalcy back into her day, she did what she always did before getting in the tub. She peeled the sweaty clothes off of her body and after spraying them with perfume to cover the smell of perspiration; she tossed them under the bed. She would have to wash them later. For now she had to hide them from sight and mask the odor. Dragon race had an impeccable sense of smell and she had no idea what her mom would say if she found out her daughter owned a pair of pants.

Once her work clothes were nicely hidden she proceeded to lay down in the bath. The washtub was just big enough for her to lie down in with only her head and feet sticking out of the water.

The young woman let out a sigh of comfort as she heated the water herself using her dragon race abilities. It was just like breathing fire from her mouth, but instead of releasing the heat that she let build up inside of her, her just let it build up within until, anything she touched began to boil. She could make the water as warm as she wished. Sometimes it was good to be dragon race.

After ten minutes of cleaning herself to get the stench of sweat off of her, and another 20 minutes of just soaking in the soothing tub, she had almost completely forgotten about her fiasco this morning. A nice long hot bath always seemed to calm her down.

When she was finished she dried herself off, again by using her heating abilities, letting all of the water on her turn to steam. She dumped out the water and put the tub back where she found it. she then went to pull out her outfit for the day. It was a simple white kimono with a red flower pattern. This was a much more acceptable outfit for a woman living in Makai.

When dressed she continued to work on her hair. It was still a little wet from when she washed it in the bath, but that was nothing her heating abilities couldn't fix. She took a lock of moist hair and twirled it around her left hand finger. The heat her finger was giving off acted like a curling iron. Not only did it dry her hair, but it gave it a nice wave to it as well.

She was about to work on the rest of her hair, when she heard a knock at the door.

"Julie sweetie, can I come in?"

"Okay mom." She answered her mother as she got up and unlocked the door.

Mrs. Runner looked at her daughter's moist hair and said, "Julie, it's almost lunch time. Did you just get out of the bath? You always oversleep."

Julia blushed at that comment. It wasn't true, she always got up very early, but it was better to have her mother think she was sleeping all this time instead of out training with the boys. "Sorry mom. It's a bad habit I know."

"Well hurry up and finish, we've got a big day today."

"I know mom, the veggies are coming in really nice this year. We've got a big harvest. I'll be out to help you in a minute."

Every day, around this time, Julia and her mother would transform themselves into their dragon forms and dig up the rocky mountainous earth to tend to their vegetable garden. Tending to the garden was just about the only things women were supposed to use their great dragon race strength for, since there was less of a chance to get hurt gardening than fighting, and only dragon claws were strong enough to dig through mountains. They would plant vegetables and then cook their family meals with them.

"Oh no sweet heart that can wait until later. What I mean is your father is home early today and he says he has big news concerning you."

Julia froze with that comment and all of her problems from this morning came crashing back down on her like a ton of bricks. She turned back to her mother with a pale face, doing her best not to show that she was trembling with anxiety.

"D-d-d-d-did h-h-he say what that news was?..." Julia stuttered nervously.

Her mother didn't notice. "No, he said he wanted to tell us both together." And with that she shut the door behind her, leaving Julia by herself.

A thousand alarms went off in her head! GYAAAH! CRAP! CRAP! CRAPPIDY, CRAP! FRICKEN DYAAAAH!" Just about every word that she could think of including those she just made up ran through her head at a trillion miles per hour!

This is it! This is the worst-case scenario! My dad knows that I've been following him down to the training grounds to learn fighting! I am so disowned! When this gets around I'll be an outcast through out the entire state! NOOOO!

Julia was so frustrated that she had no idea what to do with her own body. She fell to the floor; she got up and ran in circles, and she flailed her hands about in a flurry of unbridled adrenaline until she had no energy left.

When the young woman was finished with her tantrum, she slowly trudged out of her bedroom, towards the living room, completely forgetting about her hair, which was almost dry at this point anyway. The walk to the living room felt like a prisoner sentenced to death row walking from his cell to his execution. This was the end of her life as she knew it.

When she made it to the living room she saw her mother sitting at one end of the long couch and her father standing in front of her mother with a rather broad smile plastered all over his face. Wait, he was smiling? Maybe he had gone insane with rage. Maybe he'd kill her in his crazy bloody fury and then make her mother clean it up?

"Ah, there you are, sweet heart. Come, sit down next to your mother I have something important to tell you." Her father said as he turned to her.

Julia said nothing; she just silently complied, trying her best to keep all emotion off of her face. The last thing she need was to look guilty and crack before he even said anything.

Her mother waited patiently next to her and looked to her husband for an explanation as to what this might be about. He had not told her yet.

"Julia." Commander Runner spoke to his daughter sternly. She sat perfectly still, not wanting to look him in the eye, but she was sweating bullets. "I know you were at the training grounds this morning. One of my cadets saw you."

Still she sat unmoving although at the sound of her father's last words her heartbeat began to speed up rapidly. This is it. Here it comes… He put his hand on her shoulder tenderly.

"So you wanted to see your old man at work, huh?" The commander said. His lighthearted tone broke Julia's train of thought. He didn't sound upset at all.

"I think that's sweet, Jules, that you wanted to see your father doing what he's best at, but next time you want to watch me work, don't sneak around. Just tell me. That way I can protect you and tell you when to close your eyes when things get too scary and violent for my little girl, okay?"

Once again the alarms went off in Julia's head but this time it was in a good way. He didn't know she was training? He thought she went there for him? Realization hit her. YES! He didn't know! She'd live!

She wanted to jump for joy. She had just survived that close call, but she did well to contain herself. She just put on a big happy face as she responded to him. "Yes daddy! I wanted to see the biggest and strongest man I know do his work, cause I'm so proud of you!"

"Yes, well was there anyone else you noticed out there, sweetie?" Her dad unsubtly hinted at.

This confused Julia. What did he mean by that.

"Jules have I ever mentioned my subordinate, Jegan Jeid?" He asked

Did he ever. He would go on and on at the dinner table about how good this solider was, how proud he was of this guy, and how he'd probably become a great vassal someday. "Yeah, daddy. You've mentioned him before. What about him?"

"He's the one who saw you there this morning and told me about your little appearance. You ran off scared of the violence taking place before I got a chance to speak with you though."

Damn tattle tale! Julia thought to herself. She didn't go running off because she was scared of violence, she ran because she knew she'd get caught. She only knew Jegan through what her father said about him. She had never personally met him, but so far she didn't care much for him, especially now that she knew he was a snitch.

"Well privet Jegan said he was very impressed by how pretty you are, and guess what? He asked me… for your hand in marriage!" He blurted out.

At those words Julia stared up at her father with big round eyes and her mouth hanging open. She was completely speechless. Her mother was not.

"Oh, my goodness, my baby is getting married!" Mrs. Runner squealed in happiness as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. The commander beamed down at his two favorite girls and he placed his hand on Julia's shoulder again.

"Oh Julia! He's everything I ever wanted for you! He'll be a great provider! I cannot wait for you to meet him!"

Julia just continued to stare up at her father completely stunned. "I….I'm…Getting…Married?"

"Oh honey, I'm gonna show you all of these great cooking recipes and how to properly clean, and a whole bunch of things to make your husband happy! Your gonna make the best wife!" Her mother exclaimed, still hugging her.

"Oh course she will, she takes after her beautiful mother." The commander commented happily to his wife.

"Oh honey." She blushed at him.

Julia's parents smiled and went on about how wonderful this whole arrangement was. They compared it to their own, talked about the ceremony, completely oblivious bout how sick Julia was beginning to feel at the pit of her stomach.

Julia trudged to her room in a daze and threw herself on her bed. "Married? Couldn't they just disown me like I thought they were going to?" She muttered to herself.

She knew this would happen someday. All dragon race females had to one day be tied down to a male of their father's choosing, but she never really gave it all that much thought. She was only 19 years old. She felt much too young to be married off.

Julia always believed that it would be a long time before anyone would even think about her that way. Even though no one knew her secret, people still considered her to be weird. Sleeping in, sneaking off, etc. Man, if this Jegan guy knew her at all, than he wouldn't be so eager to make her his wife. Or maybe he planned to mold her into a good wife. Maybe he'd try to change her into something she wasn't and make her live like that forever. She shuddered at the thought.

The young female dragon race stared out the window as if she could see all of the things she would forever have to give up once she became a wife. She let out a sigh of despair. If she were born in any other country, heck in any other state, she wouldn't have to deal with this.

While Julia had never left her village before in her entire life, she had read about other places and cultures in books. Far off lands where a man would go to a woman directly to ask for her hand and she could just refuse if she chooses. Lands where girls could get jobs outside of their homes. Even some lands where woman could rule over everybody as a leader. It was incredible.

The more Julia thought about it, the more she realized she was getting the short end of the stick. In the end all of the hard work that she had secretly been doing all of these years added up to nothing in Makai. No matter how hard she worked the best that she could ever hope to accomplish is to be the daughter of someone great, the mother of someone great, or the wife of someone great. Even if she were to wed a Makai baron, and one day become the Grand Baroness, it wouldn't mean anything other than a title as wife of the Grand Baron. Even the Grand Baroness herself had no actual power.

"The Grand Baroness…" Julia thought. "I wonder if she felt this way when she realized the only thing she was good for was looking good on the Grand Baron's arm and giving him heirs. I wonder whatever happened to her." Only a short time after the Grand Baron married her, she disappeared and no one ever knew what happened to her. She was a very sickly female, right? She could have died, unless she ran away, or something like that. Maybe she went to one of those far off lands where her work would amount to something.

After that Julia just sat in silence until the craziest idea she ever had hit her hard. "No! No, no, no. I can't leave. I've spent my whole life here. I don't know anything else." She assured herself as she tried to quell these crazy thoughts.

"Then again the things I do know here are things that I hate. I do know that if I stay here I'll be forced to marry a stranger. I do know that my life won't get any better than what it is now. I do know that's not what I want." She said to herself.

The young woman stared out at the mountainous landscape outside her window. Traveling through those mountains by herself would be dangerous. She could crash into a mountain and then what would happen to her? Not to mention once her dad found her missing, he'd send every cadet to look for her.

No. She had to try. Either choose the path that is full of safety and misery, or go down the path that leads to who knows where. It could be better, it could be worse, but with the fate of being forever bonded with a stranger that would forever tie her down looming over her head, what did she have to loose?

That night, around 1:00 Am in the morning, Julia slipped outside her front door. She had everything she would ever need in a bag that she threw over her shoulders, including clothes, food, and money. She only took her work clothes with her. There was no need for dresses where she was going.

She looked towards the mountains where she was headed. Flying at night would be dangerous, but it was her best bet. As she quietly transformed herself into a beast she whisper out loud. "Good bye home…." She was ready.

With that, she took flight. Not looking back at what she would leave behind and doing her best to shake any fear or doubt away in her mind. This was the most difficult decision Julia Runner had ever made.

**(End Flash back.)**

"Women are frail and dainty creatures. They must be protected by their superior male counter parts, from scary things like violence, hard labor, and the difficult task of making big decisions. That is what we of the dragon race are raised to believe." Julia stated.

Let was shocked. Was Makai truly stuck in the middle ages? After hearing this, Let felt a little guilty for having accused her of agreeing to marry that jerk, Jegan. The teenager couldn't imagine how horrible it would be if some one else had to choose his spouse for him.

"So Jegan did what all dragon race males do when they fall in love, he went to the woman's father and asked if he could marry his daughter. That's how people are married here. It's the father that agrees to the wedding. The young woman is to be informed that she is now engaged latter. This is to protect us from the stressfulness of having to think about such an important choice as to who to spend our lives with." Julia spat.

Let could feel the bitterness just dripping off of every word coming out of Julia's mouth. There were still a few things that Let still didn't understand. "There is no way the Symphonian king would allow this to occur. Other states have female leaders."

"The king will only interfere with how a nobleman runs their state if too many subjects come to complain to him about how much they hate the way their noble does things. So far, other than me and the suspected Grand Baroness, not all that many women around here have a problem with the way things are around here, and even the few of those that actually do admittedly hate it here aren't willing to do anything about it."

"So you are telling me that you are the only girl around who openly has a problem with this?" Let asked in disbelief.

"You just don't get it do you. People are not born weak, weakness is distilled in them. If we all tell a person they can't do something throughout their entire life, eventually they are going to believe it. Woman here believe they are inherently weak because they grow up viewing that as a commonly known fact. Everyone believes it to be true so they don't complain."

There was more to this than what she was telling him. "So why don't you believe that all woman are inherently weak?" Let asked.

Julia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "My dad is a freaking commander. That means he was chosen as one of the Grand Barren's elite vassal's to train other future vassals to be great. Of course he was expected to have at least one son that would be raised to be a great soldier, but sadly his wife only produced one offspring for him. Me, a girl."

Let just stared at the female dragon race as he listened closely to her bitter tale.

"In Makai only men can become soldiers and only men are given the opportunity to become vassals. It is believed that female's are so frail that we might faint at even watching violence. The only opportunities girls have are to become a housewife. The best my dad could hope for was for me to grow up and marry the kind of man he always wanted for a son.

My parents always tell me that they love me, but I've seen how other male dragons tease my dad about how he'll never know the joys of seeing a son of his own grow up to be a man he can be proud of, to have a warrior."

Julia sniffled back some tears.

"I hated it, but I felt so guilty. Sniff….. I felt guilty just because I was born a girl…. I loved my father and I wanted to give him the warrior he always wanted so that he could finally be proud. So one morning… when I was 11 years old… I followed my father to the soldier's training grounds. I made sure he didn't see me… and I watched my father train the soldiers. I stood way in the back where no one could see me and I kept myself hidden. I listened to everything that he was telling the boys in training and I mimicked their movements. Dad never found out, but while he was training them, he was also training me.

I followed him every day to the training grounds and hid in the same spot, every day for years. In fact I still did that all the way up until I ran away. Most boys aren't usually forced to join the ranks until they turn 13 years old and are given the choice to either quit or become a vassal by the time they are 21. I had felt confident enough to kick the butts of guys much older than me by the time I got my first training bra.

Even after I realized I'd never be accepted as a warrior here, and that I could never allow anyone to know what I was doing, I still trained to be a fighter. I wasn't doing it for my dad anymore. I was doing it for me. I grew to love fighting. It made me feel empowered and special, like I could just break free from my role as a female dragon race."

By the time Julia had finished telling the story, she was smiling. Then she looked down at the ring adorning her finger and her smile fell. "That is until, _he_ had to ruin it. When I'm married, I'll have to take on a whole lot of unwanted responsibilities. There's no way Jegan would take his eyes off me long enough to let me enjoy myself."

Let looked closely at her ring. He had seen something like that before. He had to tell her. "Julia My mom had a crystal ring like that."

She looked at Let surprised as he reached into his back pocket. He always kept it on him for luck and he was glad that even though he did not have all of his stuff with him at that moment, he at least had that.

He showed Julia a beautiful ring made out of a clear smooth crystal. It had different markings on it, but it was clear that it was made in the same way.

"That's a dragon race engagement ring. Men are supposed to make it themselves by applying pressure to a piece of coal that is only found in Makai with their own fire and strength, until it turns into crystal. Afterwards, they carve four symbols into it to make it unique."

Julia looked closely at Let's ring. She actually liked it better than hers. "The four symbols are ancient Symphonian. It's pretty much a dead language, but it is still sometimes used in cases such as these. "

She smiled as she pointed out the symbols on his ring. "See, this one's says 'love', that one is 'together'. The one next to it is 'man', and the last one means 'woman'. I like it a lot better than mine. Jegan carved 'obedience', 'devotion', 'superior', and 'beauty'."

"This was the only thing that she owned that she took with her when she first came to America. She was a foreigner and other than the clothes on her back, this was all she had to her name. She worked so hard, and she never once thought of selling it. It must have been very important to her, so I've kept it with me ever since she died." Let explained.

"I'm so sorry." Julia said feeling bad about his loss.

Let only stared back at her, before he smiled, putting his own hand on top of hers. "Don't worry. We'll think of something."

She gave Let a warm smile as she leaned her head on his shoulder. They sat there in peace, just looking on at the beautiful night sky.

* * *

**Caaaan~ You feeeel~ The looooove~ Toniiiight~. I love Elton John love songs and they go so well with the ending to this chapter.**

**Next Friday you'll get to see what Let's plan is.**

**Holy crap, another long chapter! I gotta stop doing this. It's exhausting and I get worried I won't make my Friday deadline. Sorry for taking up an hour's worth of time for you. I'd rather have all my chapters around the same length, but I sort of ended up putting two chapters together with this one. The truth is I've always wanted to write long chapters like this, but it's a lot of hard work. So don't get used to it. It's back to 4000-6000 words a chapter as soon as I can make it.**

**By the way I want to explain that even though New Elie and Makai are so different culturally, they are still part of the same country. It's kind of like New York and Texas, or Hawaii and Kansas, etc.**

**As for this chapter, I'm not quite sure as to how this turned out. There wasn't much to it, other than foreshadowing, information about Makai, and some gooey Julia/ Let romance I'd like to know what you all think. Do you love it? Hate it? Find anything that could use improvement? I'd like it if you told me where you want this story to go and what you want to see in upcoming chapters.**

**So remember, if you love this story then review.**


	13. A Woman Is Like A Teabag  End Part

**A woman is like a Teabag End Part**

**Me still no own Rave Master

* * *

**

Let and Julia lay down in the grass for so long the ended up falling asleep. It was understandable. They were both very tired and it was such a warm night. As they dozed they bodies subconsciously got closer and closer to each other until it appeared as though they were cuddling in their sleep. Some would find this scene adorable. The one who found them however, did not.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON HERE?"

The two sleeping dragon races shot up, startled. They gave out a yelp. They noticed that their arms were somehow wrapped around each other's bodies and they quickly pulled apart from each other in embarrassment.

They looked up at who had awoken them only to be staring face to face with Julia's father in his intimidating dragon form. He stood above the two with anger clear in his eyes.

"Julia….." He seethed at his daughter. "Do you not understand you are getting married soon? Yet you sit here alone in this compromising position with a man who is not your lover? HOW DARE YOU? HOW CAN YOU BETRAY JEGAN LIKE THAT? I DID NOT RAISE A TRAITOR!"

Both young dragon races looked up at the beast in fear. He was truly enraged with his daughter's actions. No one knew what he would do. They were both shaking uncontrollably, too afraid of saying anything that would upset this giant behemoth any further. Commander Runner's eyes burned with such fury it could only be compared to hell itself.

After a few seconds Let found the courage to finally speak up. He didn't know how he managed to get anything other than a squeak out. He couldn't even move beyond trembling in the petrified state he was in.

"S-sir…. T-to be honest….We really weren't doing anything-"

"SILENCE! YOU SHOULD CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY THAT IT WAS I WHO FOUND YOU AND NOT JEGAN HIMSELF! IF HE HAD YOU WOULD BE TORN TO SHEDS ON SIGHT!"

Let shut his mouth up quick, regretting saying anything.

"My own daughter…." The commander hissed. "With someone other than her mate…."

"But I will be her mate!" Let blurted out on the spot. Julia and her father stared at him stunned with that comment, eyes wide with disbelief.

Even Let didn't even know why he said that until it was too late. However, now that he had, an idea began to fall into place in his head. It was one of those brilliant plans that just jump out at you unexpectedly, like an epiphany.

"The reason we were here alone tonight is because I want to ask Julia to be my wife. I was running the idea through her before I came to you, sir."

Julia was completely frozen speechless in shock. Did he really just say that?

Her question was answered when Let reached for his mother's ring and held it out for Julia, using it as her engagement ring. She was still too stunned to move, so Let grabbed her hand and slipped it on her finger for her. It would have been a perfect fit, if Jegan's ring wasn't in the way.

Slowly, with all of the courage he had inside of him, Let cautiously turned back to Julia's father. The young man braced himself for whatever the commander was going to throw at him, but he was instead surprised to find his face looking down at him cold and calculating, not further raged like he expected.

Maybe he was thinking of the best way to kill him. Let swallowed a lump in his throat. He wasn't expecting this reaction. His silent demeanor was more intimidating than anything else and the suspense was stifling for Let. What was he going to do?

Without warning the commander grabbed Let's arm with his strong claws and began dragging him away. "Julia, go home and tell the other's to meet us at the Grand Baron's palace."

It took a moment for her father's order to be processed. When it finally hit her, she swiftly ran towards the direction of her home. She thought to herself,' Aw man Let, what have you done?"

* * *

The Grand Baron's palace was beautiful. It was like a Japanese style mansion. Gorgeous tapestries decorated the walls. Elaborately painted Asian statues and pottery were set up on pedestals all over the place, and you could not look outside without gazing upon a dazzling koi pond, or Zen garden. Truly it was quite the sight to behold, but sadly there was no time to stop and enjoy the view.

Haru, Belnika, and Ruby came racing down the long corridors of the palace towards Let, who was spotted sitting upon a luxurious aquamarine silk couch in the hallway. He was bent over with his hands wringing together in his lap. He looked extremely nervous.

"Let! Julia told us to meet you here and that there was an emergency. What's going on?" Belnika asked.

Let looked up at his friends standing over him. He answered in a nervous voice. "I asked Julia to marry me."

Haru gave his friend a funny look. "No really, what's going on?"

"THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW!"

Julia came up from behind everyone, startling them all. She had a very angry look on her face.

"Were you NOT listening to a word I said? I don't. Want. To. Get. MARRIED! What in the world gave you the idea that proposing to me, would fix everything, Jack ass?"

"It's all part of my plan!" Let explained. If two good men ask for your hand, than your father will ask you which one you want. Your father already respects me because he thinks I saved your life! That's why he didn't kill me on the spot, right? I figure I've got just as good of a shot as Jegan! You'll say you want me, we have a fake elopement and we get the heck out of this backward state!"

Julia's enraged expression deflated into annoyance. She turned away from Let and let her head hang low as she rubbed her temples. This was giving her a headache.

"That sounds like an awful plan, Let." Haru said flatly.

"Yeah, poyo, even I can see a lot of plot holes in that, poyo." Ruby added.

Let yelled back. "Excuse me, but that is the best I could come up with at the moment. You should have seen the commander! I had to come up with something!"

"Where is my dad, right now?" Julia asked as she looked back towards Let.

The male dragon race pointed his finger towards a large mahogany door. "He went in there to speak with the Grand Baron. Apparently He's going to determine my fate. Where are your mother and Jegan?"

"I ditched my mom in the grand foyer. Jegan's there too but he's currently under the watch of some of the Makai vassals to make sure he doesn't do anything dangerous. You should have seen his face when I told him, Let. The guy's ready to rip out some of your own organs and strangle you with them. Do NOT let him see you."

Let smiled at the fact that he got under Jegan's skin "Well maybe his violent spree will give me points with your father and the Grand Baron. If he keeps acting like that then-"

"You don't get it. In Makai, if more than one male asks for the same female's hand, it's not up to the girl to decide who her husband will be! It never is! It's not even up to the girl's father! It's decided with-"

Julia was cut off when the large mahogany door opened up right in front of them. A deep, old sounding voice called out to them from inside that large room. "Please come in, all of you…."

Hesitantly, the group of friends all did as instructed. The room they now stood in was enormous, bigger than any one of them had ever seen. The ceiling had to be almost 100 feet tall, and it was big enough to fit a football field inside.

At the other side of the room they saw Julia's father, who stared at them indifferently. Next to him was by far the largest dragon any of them had ever laid eyes upon. He had to be almost 30 feet tall, and over 55 feet long. His main was a graying blond and his scales were a grayish black. He had a few wrinkles lining his face. He must have been almost 50 years old.

Suddenly through another entrance to the enormous room, Jegan and Mrs. Runner appeared being escorted by some guards. Jegan gave Let a look so filled with hatred, it was practically burning holes into his flesh. Still neither dragon race males said anything.

Once everyone was there, the commander spoke up. "Everyone bow before Grand Baron Altagis."

Everybody got down on their knees and bowed before the enormous beast. Those who had never seen the Grand Baron before just assumed it was him, by default. It certainly wasn't anyone else in the room.

"Would the two gentlemen who asked for this female's hand step forward." The noble ordered. Jegan and Let obliged, silently glaring at each other the whole time.

"According to tradition, when more than one man seeks to mate with a woman, the stronger of the two shall receive her. Tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM, Jegan Jeid and Let Durden shall face off in a duel to decide who that is." The noble spoke.

The group of travelers each froze in shock at that statement. Jeagan and Let would fight over who would Marry Julia? What the heck is wrong these people and their crazy traditions?

The noble spoke again. "Commander Runner has personally asked me as one of my best vassals to do him the favor of refereeing this match. Afterwards I shall then perform the marriage ceremony when everything is cleaned up. That is all I have to say. Go now and rest up for tomorrow, all of you. You are dismissed."

Let was still frozen in shock from the Grand Baron's announcement. It was only until Jegan got up and towered over him that the predicament he was in truly hit him. With his eyes narrowed in hatred, Jegan whispered, "Tonight is your last night breathing. I will show you death for attempting to take what is mine…"

With that, he walked away. Holy crap! That guy is the strongest cadet in Commander Runner's regiment! Let had only begun learning the basics from Julia about a week ago. Not to mention the fact that Jeagan would have absolute rage fueling his bloodlust. It was official. Let was dead meat.

* * *

That night was the longest night in Let's life. He had a great deal to think about. What could very well be his final hour was approaching and he had yet to say a word since the meeting with Altagis. Everyone just assumed he was letting it sink in, so no one dared speak to him. What could they possibly say anyway?

That night could not last forever though. Soon enough it was morning. Everyone headed down to the training fields for what could very well be the execution of poor Let. Still he said nothing and he wasn't the only one.

Julia had not uttered a single word for hours. Guilt constricted her. How could she have let this happen to poor Let. He was only trying to help her and now he could be killed for it. There was no way she'd let him go through with this.

This was the only time where it was advised that Julia go to the training grounds, since she would be getting married probably later that day, she should be there when it was decided to whom. She just wasn't allowed to watch the fight. It was much too violent for female eyes. She would wait in a lounge area just near by the actual field that the vassals used during down time, it was just a simple building that had a few spare rooms to it, like a locker room, a shower area and even a cafeteria for the cadets to eat.

Before Julia and any other females that wanted to be there when the winner was announced would be stuffed in there, Julia went off to find Let. It was 9:50 AM and she didn't have much time.

She found him finishing getting dressed for the fight in one of the rooms to the soldier's lounge. All he wore was a pare of dark, brown pants and a sash around them that acted as a belt, not even a pair of shoes. Both fighters were supposed to dressed like this to make sure things were fair.

As Julia watched Let tie his belt sash tight, another pang of guilt washed over her. She leaned against a wooden support beam and folded her arms in an attempt to seem nonchalant and mask her feelings. She refused to look at him as she spoke.

"Don't do this Let… Nothing good could possibly come out of this. You and your friends just sneak out of here and I'll…. I'll catch up to you guys later. This isn't your responsibility."

Let couldn't bring himself to look at her either, but he did finally speak up.

"I used to think like that... It's not my responsibility... Whenever something happened I just assumed that someone else would probably take care of it. Heck, when my friend, Elie, was kidnapped, I almost did nothing for her until Haru dragged me here. I just thought the police would be able to handle it. But if I hadn't gone with Haru and decided to do something I never would have made it to Inner world and I never would have met you.

The entire time I've been in your village, I've seen and heard things that completely go against common decency, and no one was willing to say or do anything. I assumed someone would help you, but no one did. So I will. Julia, this is my moment, my call to action. From this day forward, I will never just assume that someone else will jump in and take action again. I'll take action myself, and I'll start with freeing you."

And with that, Let walked passed Julia into what might possibly be his first and final stand. The young dragon race woman just stood there in that empty room with her head hung down. She fought back tears. Why couldn't she do anything? She thought sadly to herself.

A few minutes past of getting lost in her own thoughts until Belnika entering the room, snapping Julia out of it. "I was told we should wait here until the fight ends, or something." She said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. Man, the laws in this state sucked. She couldn't wait to get out of here. She wanted to see for herself what was going to happen to Let.

At hearing Belnika's words, Julia's head snapped up and her expression became determined. She had never been one for following the rules as long as she was never caught. The female dragon race turned to the sorceress and grabbed her hand as she led her out of the room.

"Tch! Forget that! Come on I'm gonna score us some seats!"

Making sure they weren't caught, Julia led Belnika out of the lounge and past all of the spectators getting ready to watch the fight. They were all to distracted to notice them anyway. Moving swiftly and silently through the shadows with diligence that Belnika could just barley keep up with, they made their way up a large steep hill, and up to the fence of the training grounds. It was the same spot where Julia would always watch every morning to train, only this time she was inside the fence. She knew no one would see them up there, but they would have a perfect view of the battle.

Let and Jegan stood back to back in the center of the training grounds. A circle of men, some in human form, and others as dragons, surrounded the two but gave them more than enough space for their duel. The air was so thick with anxiety, that it could be felt by everyone, and even thought they weren't touching one another, the two dragon race males could feel the mist of their own perspiration coming off of each other, as if it were a humid day. It was dead silent all round them.

On the west side of the grounds, were Haru, Ruby and Commander Runner waiting patiently for the moment of truth. Haru gulped down a lump of nervousness in his throat. "Be okay, Let…" He silently prayed for his friend.

Towering over them was the Grand Baron. He took a deep breath and spoke out. "This match will determine the fate of the female known as miss Julia Runner. You will take ten steps forward and on the tenth count face each other and attack. This fight will end when I say it has ended. Other than that, anything goes. Is this understood?"

The two challengers nodded.

"One….. Two….. Three….. Four….."

As the noble counted, the two fighters took another step forward. With each step, anxiety doubled. Let's heart was beating so loudly, he wondered if anyone else could hear it.

"Five….. Six….. Seven…."

He was sweating so much he wondered if he would collapse of dehydration before the match even began.

"Eight….. Nine….."

A trillion things went off in Let's head at once. A voice somewhere inside of him screamed for him to leave now! There were so many ways to get out of this. Collapse, surrender now, run, just run, move your legs! By some miracle, Let was able to push all of these noisy thoughts to the back of his head. He couldn't listen to that now there was no backing out. He swore he would do this!

"Ten!"

With the speed of rocket, Let turned around and charged at Jegan with all his fury. With one swift move of his right leg, He kicked at Jegan only for the man to catch his leg in mid air.

This didn't discourage Let in the slightest. He jumped up with his left leg and swung it at his opponent, only for it to be swatted away, and with no more legs to stand on, Let lost his balance and began to fall back. Jegan took the leg in his hands and twisted it so that Let spinned in mid air, making his landing even more painful.

Let's face hit the dirt hard but it didn't break his concentration. Using his hands, he pulled himself forward at the last second and did a front flip just before Jegan's nearly devastating attack could hit its mark.

As soon as Let was to his feet he made some distance between him and his opponent, just so he could catch his breath. He stared wide-eyed at Jegan. If this was how he fought, he would need a change in tactics. Jegan took this as his opportunity and charged right at Let. Let did his best to dodge and block every attack that was thrown his way, but Jegan was just too fierce and he refused to back off for even a moment. He kept coming at Let with every intention going for the kill. Every spectator, including the one's no one knew were there, held their breath in the wake of this intense battle.

Each attack sent Let back a little farther, and he was loosing ground quickly. It wasn't long before one of Jegan's strikes finally connected and Let was kicked square in the ribs, knocking all of the wind from him. He fell to his butt, clutching his sides in pain. He forced his anguish down when his eyes fixed on Jegan's charging form coming strait at him. Jegan was about to strike again, when at the last second, Let kicked both his legs out and sent the Dragon race flying right over him.

As he saw his enemy skid across the ground painfully, Let knew that this was the only second he had to bring out his finale ace. Let jumped to his feet and transformed himself into his giant, dark green dragon form and charged at the man he was fighting. It only took Jegan a second to recollect himself and doing the same as Let, he transformed himself into his own, 6-foot tall, 14 feet long, dark, brown dragon form. With his new strength, Jegan whipped his tail around and smacked Let across the face to stop his onslaught dead in its tracks.

While he was pushed back a few steps, Let did not give in. He opened his mouth and unleashed an enormous ball of fire directly at his opponent. Unexpected by the attack, Jegan took a few steps back to avoid the attack. This was Let's chance. He unleashed a barrage of punches, kicks, tail whips, and fireballs at Jegan. While none of his attacks connected, his enemy kept pushing him back and he had no chance for a counter attack.

With one mighty strike, Let aimed his claws directly at Jegan's throat, only for it to be stopped by Jegan's own claws. He had finally found his footing again. This time they were right up in each other's faces, in a stalemate. Jegan' opened his mouth in preparation for another fire-ball attack, but before he ever had the chance, Let swung his tail up and smacked Jegan in the face, causing the fire-ball to miss its target and hit the ground instead, allowing a thick cloud of dust and smoke to kick up. Every one shielded their eyes and covered their mouths in protection against the onslaught of smoke.

They heard a loud crack that was echoed all throughout the land. When the smoke cleared up, everyone blinked away the remainder of their blurry vision just in time to make out the silhouettes of one dragon standing and the other laying on the ground.

They held their breaths in anticipation, waiting for the remainder of the smokescreen to clear. As the dust slowly dissipated it was revealed that Let was the last dragon standing, while Jegan was lying on his back, propped up the one elbow. His other hand was clutching the side of his profusely bleeding head, just barley hanging on to consciousness.

Everything was once again unmoving and dead silent. After a few seconds of simply staring at the scene in awe, the Grand Baron called out breaking the silence.

"The victory goes to Let Durden!"

Every one was completely astonished. Haru and Ruby were practically jumping for joy.

"YES! HE DID IT! HE DID IT! AIRIGHT!" Haru exclaimed as he grabbed Ruby and swung him around in his moment of joy.

"YAY, POYO! I KNEW HE'D DO IT, POYO!" Ruby yelled in his own excitement.

Even up by their secret spot the girls rejoiced in their friend's victory. Belnika looked to Julia with bright eyes. "Julia isn't this wonderf-"

"BITCHEN YES!" Julia exclaimed, cutting her off. In her own ecstasy she didn't even care if anyone saw her. For the first time in her life she was too happy to care what people thought of her.

While jumping for joy, Julia noticed something that made her stop in her celebration and glue her eyes back on to the training grounds. Her blood ran cold as she witnessed Jegan stagger to his feet. He had blood lust in his eyes and she knew what he was thinking. No! He won't see it coming!

For the first time in her entire life, Julia wasn't thinking of getting in trouble. She wasn't considering the consequences of her actions. The entire world seemed to slow down around her as she took off, transforming herself into her dragon form in the process, flying strait for her own call to action.

Let's back was turned. He was too busy waving to his friends in his own excitement over winning he didn't see Jegan coming. Even if he had there would have been nothing that he could have done in time. Jegan came at Let with his claws outstretched aiming directly at Let's head. The look in his eyes clearly showed that he had every intention of piercing his skull and killing him.

As if in slow motion Let turned around at the last second, eyes wide in surprise. Before he even knew what was happening, he was saved. Julia swooped down and tackled Jegan to the ground and proceeded to beat him relentlessly.

Everyone was shocked out of their minds to see this. A female was beating up one of the strongest recruits in Makai's army! It didn't matter if he was already hurt by Let. No one had ever seen a female dragon race throw a punch before, and it looked as though Jegan was getting hurt pretty badly too.

After a minute of throwing punch after punch at Jegan, Julia stood up panting. She surveyed her handiwork. It looked like his nose was broken.

Jegan looked up at his now ex-fiancé in shock and she stared down at him with her eyes narrowed in utter disgust.

"I was supposed to marry you? A man who attacks from behind? Disgraceful! Stay away from Let, and stay away from me…" She hissed at him menacingly.

Spitting at the dragon race male, she turned her back on him and walked away, leaving him, like most of the crowd, speechless.

Let stared at the girl with his eyes wide as she walked closer to him, changing back into human form in the process. "Why did you do that?" he whispered, transforming back himself.

She smiled back. "Consider it my call to action."

For just a moment the two were able to share an almost loving smile. They were broken out of their thoughts however, when they heard the loud thundering of heavy footsteps coming closer. They looked in the sounds direction and their eyes went wide as they witnessed the Grand Baron coming their way. Without a word, the crowd of spectators parted to make way for the enormous dragon.

The memory of what the noble had said to him earlier quickly donned on Let. Without haste the dragon race male fumbled around in his pants pocket to get what he needed. He pulled out his late mother's ring.

As soon as the noble was standing right before them, Let outstretched the ring in his hand towards Julia, but his large eyes never left the intimidating noble. He wanted to make sure he was seeing this. He didn't want to upset him by going against his earlier orders and continued to play along with the fake fiancé thing a little longer until they could think of a way to ditch this place.

Julia looked at Let's spineless action and decided that she should take charge of the situation. After all that they had been through this morning what was the use in pretending anymore? She sighed and pushed the ring away from her face as she turned to the Grand Baron.

"Sir…" she said as she bowed to him. "With all due respect, your Honor, Let and I have decided together that we are not yet ready for marriage. I hope that you will understan-"

"Where in the world did you get that?" The Grand Baron cut her off as he stared wide-eyed at the ring Let was holding.

"Um… I… Made it?" Let answered in the way that he thought he was suppose to, After all, didn't Julia already tell him that men are supposed to carve the rings themselves?

"No." The nobleman said in a soft, yet shocked voice as he took the ring from him with his own giant claws. "I recognize this… I made this… For Lillian…"

Let stared at the nobleman with wide eyes. "That's my mother's name. You knew her?"

Julia's head snapped in Let's direction and she stammered at him in utter surprise. "WHAT THE- YOU! GAHH! YOUR MOTHER WAS GRAND BARONESS LILLIAN ALTIGIS?"

"You- your mother? How can that be?" The Grand Baron asked, still in a state of shock.

"We speculate that I got my dragon race genes from my mother's side. She came as a refuge from another country and fell in love with my father, Ron Durden. They conceived me shortly after." Let explained.

"She… She got remarried? But I thought that we were in love…" The Grand Baron whispered to himself sullenly. It was clear that this was all too much for him to take in at once.

"Now it all makes sense." Julia said. "She ran away to Outer world so that she could be free to make her own choices."

"I never wanted to steal her freedom. I just wanted to protect her. She was always so sickly and it was tradition to treat one's female mate like that." The nobleman

Tried to defend.

"Maybe that was the problem." Let replied. She just wanted to live her life without these traditions holding her back."

* * *

For the next hour Let, Julia, and the Grand Baron of Makai sat in the soldier's lounge and talked. They spoke mostly of Let's mother, her unfortunate death, and her possible motivations for becoming who she was.

The Grand Baron was distraught with the news of her demise and Let who had been through the same thing with losing her, was more than ready to console him. They grieved together over their loss. The noble showed no resentment towards Let or his father. He could never despise anyone who made his beloved so happy.

"Let my boy, I am very glad to have met you. I believe it is time to think over these traditions of ours."

Julia's face lit up with those words. "So… I don't have to get married?"

The noble smiled at the young woman's enthusiasm, as he shook his head no.

"BITCHEN SWEET!" She cried out.

"Watch your tone young lady! Things don't change that much, that quickly!" The Grand Baron warned.

"Oh, sorry, your Excellency." She blushed in embarrassment.

"Quite alright. But young lady I do believe there is someone else you should speak with now."

The nobleman pointed to the lounge's doorway. Julia followed the Grand Baron's gaze until she saw what he meant. Her eyes went wide as she stared at her father leaning against the doorframe.

"Let's go for a walk." Commander Runner advised his daughter.

She gulped down a lump of uneasiness in her throat as she complied. Commander Runner and his daughter strolled all around the training grounds. Everyone had cleared out at this point, leaving the grounds empty with the exception of them. They walked in no direction in particular, focusing more on what they were saying.

Julia confessed everything to her father. Her secretly following him to the training grounds for fighting lessons every morning, that she ran away because she hated Jegan, everything. The commander kept silent throughout her entire explanation. He didn't want to interrupt her, but secretly his silence was making her a little nervous. She had no idea what he was thinking.

"For so long, I just wanted to make you happy and proud of me, but now… I just want to be me, and the girl you thought I was… just isn't her. I'm so sorry, daddy..."

When he was finally sure she was finished, he spoke up. "This is quite a lot to take in. For so long I thought you were somebody else entirely, my little girl. It's hard to imagine."

"I know I'm sorry. At first I just wanted to be the son you always wanted, I know that could never happen, but still, I don't want you to be ashamed of me. I just wish you could see me… For well… me…" Julia stopped walking. She did her best to keep the tears in.

"Julia…" The commander stopped his trek. He gently grabbed his daughter's chin and motioned her to look at him. "If I had ten son's plus you, all of those boys would be complete disappointments in my eyes compared to you… You are the best offspring anyone can ask for, and I can't feel any more pride for you than I already do right now. I think we've both been blind to each other."

That was it. Julia couldn't hold it in any longer. She flung herself into her father's arms and gave him a huge hug, in which he was happy to return.

After a few seconds the commander pulled back so he could look his daughter in the eyes. "So now that your not getting married, what will you decide to do now. And I mean what YOU decide."

"Well." Julia looked down at her fingers as she twiddled them nervously. "I did promise my friends I'd escort them safely to New Elie and teach them how to fight."

"Well what kind of daughter of mine breaks a promise to friends? You are going to get those lily-livered pansy Asses to their destination and you are going to do it without complaint! Do I make my myself clear, soldier?"

Julia looked at her father stunned. That was the same way he spoke to his cadets. Her surprised expression turned to one of happiness. She stood up strait, looked him directly in the eyes and saluted her father. Her dream had come true. She was looked at as one of the guys.

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"SIR, YES, SIR!"

"DESMISSED! Oh, and tell your momma that your leaving okay, baby cakes?"

"SIR, YES, SIR!"

With that Julia was off, homeward bound, when all of a sudden she was stopped by a voice.

"Hey, Julia, was your father angry?" Let asked as he came running toward her.

She smiled at him. "Naw, we're cool. Now go find Ruby, Haru, and Belnika and meet me at my house so we can pack. We're getting the heck out of this ass backwards state!"

"Sounds like a good plan." Let was just about to do just that when he felt a tug on his arm. Julia had grabbed on to it to hold him up for a second longer.

Let was just about to ask why when he suddenly found himself unable to speak from pure shock. Julia out of nowhere pressed her lips up against Let's cheek in a tender kiss.

"Thanks for trying to save me." She whispered to him.

For a moment Let found himself too stunned to move. His face was as red as an apple and he legs had gone numb. After a few seconds Julia began to grow impatient with him.

"ALRIGHT! HOP TO IT!" She yelled, jolting him out of his bliss.

"Huh? Oh right." And with that they both were off.

Commander Runner watched his daughter from across the training grounds with a smile on his face. It was true what he had said before. He could not have been more proud of that girl.

* * *

**"A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water."**

**~Eleanor Roosevelt.**

**This is one of my favorite quotes and it fits in so well with the story. Julia could never take charge of her life until the time came when it was do or die. Choose freedom, or choose misery, and in the end she took all of the courage inside of her and did what was best for both her and for Let, in spite of the fact that it was hard for her.**

**Another lesson this arc teaches is to remember not to ignore your call to action. If you see something and you know that it's wrong, don't assume some one else will save the day. I think everyone has been guilty of not standing up for what they believe in at least once in their life. (I know I have, and I'm not proud of it.) It happens too much in society. And it was an important lesson for Let to learn who is always shrugging off the bad stuff (At least n this story.) Now I'm not saying you should go challenge a dragon to save an oppressed woman, but if all you can do is speak up, than I say go for it. If you don't, who will?**

**Well that wraps up this story arc. Next Friday, you can expect to see Musica and Elie again.**

**A big thank you goes out to every one who reviewed and an even bigger please goes out to anyone thinking about reviewing.**

**Next time: The New Elie Border**


	14. The New Elie Border  Part 1

**The New Elie border Part 1**

**For the 14th time, I don't own Rave Master!

* * *

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Traveling along a quaint little forest trail deep in New Elie's woods, a carriage strolled by on its way to the capitol. Because New Elie's noble was not currently able to run her state, the king would send a diplomat there every so often to check up on things. These diplomats, and a few other chosen wealthy people, were the only ones who had the legal right to leave the state thanks to the new laws that were decreed in New Elie a few years ago, but the king didn't have to know that.

Said diplomat was the person who rode in that carriage.

This diplomat was a short and plump man. He wore fine clothes, with a ring on every one of his thick, stubby fingers and sported a finely trimmed moustache. On his lap, was a heavy chest filled to the brim with gold coins, which he happily counted during his carriage ride.

Whenever a diplomat went to New Elie, they were given money to tell the king things were going smoothly. If they wouldn't accept a bribe, they would be viciously threatened. They would rather give them a bribe because it ususaly gets a little suspicious when they have to make an excuse for why the diplomat didn't come back.

This diplomat was more than happy to take the money in exchange for keeping his mouth shut about the poverty and illegal activity going on in New Elie. He chuckled to himself greedily as he counted his gold pieces.

"239… 240… 241… 2- Whoa!"

His carriage suddenly came to an abrupt halt. It almost gave the portly man whiplash.

"I dare say, what is the meaning of this?" The diplomat yelled out in a snobby voice to his driver.

They had defiantly hit something. The driver got out of his seat to investigate. When he looked under his wheel, his heart fell a little at the site in front of him.

"I'm sorry sir, but it appears as though we've just run over a little Plue dog." The driver called back to his passenger.

The driver truly felt bad for the poor creature he had hurt, but with a closer inspection, he noticed that the dog didn't look hurt at all. It was glowing slightly, like there was a little magic barrier that stopped the creature from being harmed. But how could-

The driver's thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly felt the cold steal of a blade on his neck.

"We're not looking to start a fight, but if you so much as make a sound, we won't think twice." Came a voice from right behind him.

The diplomat waited in his carriage for several minutes until his patience wore out. "Oh driver. Why haven't we continued moving yet?" He waited for a few moments for an answer but received none, fueling his annoyance.

The diplomat opened the door to the carriage, fully expecting to give his driver an ear full. "Speak up you, toad! I asked you a questi- "

The diplomat froze in place and all the color in his face drained when he laid his eyes upon the sight just outside his carriage. He was completely surrounded by a gang of mean looking thugs, all rough looking men, except for one little teenager girl in the back of the gang, who appeared to be giggling as if they had just pulled off a prank on someone. His driver was tied up and gagged a few feet away.

A man with dark hair and three eyebrow piercings came up to the scared rich man. He came down to his eye level and said with a smirk.

"Ya got anything your willing to share?"

Within a matter of minutes, the entire carriage had been stripped of every article of luggage within it, including all of the diplomat's money. They went so far as to even take the clothes off his back and all of the jewelry he was wearing leaving only his underpants. All the chubby little man could do was silently comply in hopes that they would take pity on him.

When it was over the gang took apart the wheels on the carriage so that, they didn't have to worry about being followed or of being squealed on by this man.

Once they were finished the gang leader yelled out to his men. "Okay, Silver Rhythm, roll out!"

With that all of the men started running off with what ever they could carry. Elie was right on the heels of her cohorts when she suddenly realized she forgot something important back at the mugging sight. She skid to halt and quickly ran back.

Elie ran strait up to the pathetic looking man that they had left to wallow in his underpants until she was only a few feet away. She set down the stolen luggage she was carrying for a just a moment so that she could give the diplomat a proper curtsy out of politeness.

She smiled as she said to him, "Thank you so much for your cooperation. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

She had been a part of the Silver Rhythm gang for almost a whole week. This was not her first mugging. She had made the decision to say this to everyone they had stolen from, no matter what. Hey she might be a thug now, but that didn't mean she had to throw away all of her manners, she was still a noblewoman.

With that, she picked up the stolen luggage again and quickly ran in the direction her gang had fled in, leaving behind a busted up, empty carriage, a very confused and pathetic looking diplomat and his tied up and gagged driver.

Every day the Silver Rhythm gang got closer and closer to the New Elie border. Unfortunately, they were often very easily sidetracked. Every time they came across a fancy traveler, they refused to ignore the opportunity of making a quick buck. Sure they promised to get Elie to the capitol quickly, but they were still thieves.

They had gotten a good three miles away from the diplomat through the thick brush of the forest before they had made the decision to top and take a break. During these breaks they often took a better look at the things that they stole and chose how to divide up the loot.

They joked around as they pulled apart the mugging victims luggage. They found mostly cash, some fancy clothes that weren't the right size for any of them, jewelry, and a few other bobbles and knickknacks that looked promising for pawning off.

While looking through the things that they stole Elie and Plue found something special that caught their eye. "Wow! Look Plue, it's another magic book. This looks like it'll be a good one, too!"

Elie held up the book she found among the luggage for close inspection before the girl turned to Musica. "Hey Musica, instead of the money, would it be okay if this book counted as my share instead?"

Musica did not understand how that girl's mind worked one bit. She'd rather have one measly book instead of the cash to buy lot's of books? Well since it was her magic that protected Plue so that he could be used as a decoy, then fine. Let her do what she wanted. Maybe she'll learn some more useful magic from that thing.

"Yeah, alright." He replied, causing the girl to light up happily. She jumped up in the air with glee.

This wasn't the first time they had found a magic book among the loot they stole from passing by rich guys and every time Elie would do the same thing. Ask that the literature be her share and then go curl up in a comfy place so she could learn its contents.

She figured that now that her Etherion was unsealed, she had six years of catching up to do when it came to learning how to control it. So far all she had managed to accomplish were some basic spells, nothing in comparison to what Etherion's true power was, but considering that it had been six years since she last used any magic at all, Learning any spells in less than a week was pretty talented.

Some of the gang members watched her read with a bemused look on their faces before looking to their leader. "Hey Musica, I don't think this 'distilling our values' thing is working."

"What makes you say that?" The gang leader asked as he took a bite out of what was supposed to be the diplomat's lunch.

"Come on, just look at her." One of his men spoke.

Musica took a long glance at Elie. She was lying on her stomach, with both of her feet swinging back in forth in the air like a little kid. As she read her new book she would sometimes point to things on the pages and smile as she showed her dog, which was reading over her shoulder.

Musica hated to admit it, but the guys were right. Even the way she read books made her look like a little kid! All of this stealing was doing nothing to corrupt her or change her in any way. For God's sake, she even spoke politely to people while they were robbing them!

In this entire time, the only thing that had changed about her was her clothes. They had ditched her fancy dress. It wasn't exactly good for running through the woods. Now she donned a plan white sleeveless dress that barely skimmed her knees. Her luxurious shoes were replaced by hiking boots that did not go well with her any dress at all. One glace at her and you would never guess that she was nobility. So even though she dressed the part of a poor girl ready to go slumming in these parts, she certainly didn't act that way. I guess generations of upper class manners and grace, weren't so easily erased.

Still Musica wouldn't give up on his original plan. "Awe come on guys, it's only been, what? A week? We've still got a ways to go before we reach the capitol. She can turn by then."

"I don't know, man. She's reading like a 7-year-old little girl to a puppy. Doesn't sound like thug material to me." One of the guys commented.

Musica was getting a little fed up with this topic of discussion, mostly because he didn't want to admit they were probably right. "Forget it!" He snapped, changing the subject.

"Yo, Elie" He called over to the girl to come over to where they were sitting. "Get over here, we're having a meeting!"

Elie looked up from her book, marked down where she had left off on it, and got up to be with the rest of the gang with Plue right beside her. When she sat down next to Musica he would begin.

"Alright guys we've come a long way and we're almost to the state border, but we're not home free just yet." Musica said as he pulled out a map of Symphonia for every one to see.

Using his finger, he traced the path where they had been, to where they were now. They had decided that they would travel through the woods, rather than from village to village. It would be harder, especially since they didn't always use the trails, but going from town to town would be too risky. A gang of thieves wasn't exactly welcomed in most villages, and who could resist the chance to rob an unsuspecting traveler in the forest while they were all alone?

"Once we get past the border, we'll be in Makai. We'll follow this mountain trail and head east to the capitol state." Musica explained as his finger pointed out the exact places they were headed to.

"Hey." Interrupted one of the gang members. "Instead of going north to Makai and then east to the capitol, why don't we just head north east and go directly to the capitol state? Wouldn't that be much quicker?"

"Yes it would be." Musica explained. "But it would also be more dangerous. There are guys looking all over this state for the Grand Duchess, and the sooner we're out of here the better, and they're going to be expecting us to go that way. Which brings me to my next point. Everyone knows how strict border patrol is, right?"

Everyone nodded their heads, including Elie. She had just learned not too long ago that a new law was instated that only those with New Elie state government permission were allowed to leave or enter the state. Anyone caught leaving without permission, would have to face serious consequences. This was how New Elie's take over became possible and how the people were being controlled. It explained so much, but not everything.

"Well the border patrol by the border to the capitol state is the thickest." Said Musica. "So my plan is to sneak past the patrol into Makai tomarrow. At the rate we're going now, we should be there by that time. We'll take out any damn enemy we have to, because if we get caught, it'll be our Asses we need to worry about, not the state's. Is everybody clear on this plan?"

With a determined look on all of their faces the gang nodded to their leader. They were ready for anything.

"Alright." Musica said with a smirk. "Let's roll out."

* * *

It had been about one day since the group of friends left Julia's village. Currently, they were flying towards who knows where, once again wishing some one in their group was good at reading maps. This time it was Ruby's job to navigate, and his friends were more than a little vexed with his navigational skills.

"Arg. I swear you little penguin, you had better damn know where you're taking us!" Julia yelled at the creature on her back.

Let and Julia were both in dragon form carrying their friends through the mountains. Haru was on Let's back, plus most of their luggage, and Belnika and Ruby were riding Julia as they soared through the skies.

"Of course I know where we're going, poyo! Why don't you ever trust me, poyo?" Ruby said casually as he studied the map he was holding closely.

"Ruby, you're acting strange lately. You seem more confident in your navigational decisions than usual. " His best friend, Belnika said suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at him. It was at that point she got a closer look at the map Ruby was holding when she peered over his shoulder.

"Hey wait a minute. Ruby this way is-"

"Uh! What's that, poyo? I uh, can't hear you, poyo! Too much wind. You can tell me when we get there, all right, poyo? Heh heh!"

Now Belnika was getting both worried and angry over her penguin friend's behavior. She knew him long enough to tell when he was hiding something from her and he always was a terrible liar.

"Okay, Ruby, what's going on?" Belnika demanded. She grabbed the map right out of Ruby's flippers and proceeded to look over his intended path for herself in spite of Ruby's protests. After scanning the parchment her eyes went wide.

"Ruby, this isn't the way to New Elie at all!"

"WHAT?" Julia screeched as she came to an abrupt halt. She had heard all of the duo's conversation and she was not pleased in the slightest that Ruby had taken them on a wide goose chase.

She landed on a cliff side so fast, it almost gave Belnika whiplash. Then without warning, the female dragon race transformed herself back into human form, letting her passengers off roughly. Even though she was no longer a beast, the glare that she shot the duo was just as frightening as any monster that they could possibly face.

"Why are you stopping?" Asked Let who had reverted himself back to human form also as he let Haru off on the same cliff their friends were on.

"These, guys have been staying from the original path and leading us on a wide goose chase!" Julia screeched as she held up the map that she took from them.

It was true. There was a line drawn from where they had been to where they were going. It started out back in the Green state where they had started their adventure, went through Makai and Julia's home village, but then instead of heading strait for the border into New Elie, it slowly began to swerve off to the east to the border into the capitol state.

"What? Ruby, why would you do this?" Haru demanded. He knew that they were wasting too much time already. Taking any more detours was not an option.

Ruby looked very guilty. His eyes began to water as he looked down at his feet and began to explain. "I'm sorry, poyo. I know I shouldn't have tried to trick you guys into going there, poyo. It's just that there is something really important in that direction that I really want to see, poyo. I just thought that since it wasn't that far off of a detour, that you guys wouldn't mind, poyo."

The little creature looked up at his friends pleadingly with large, round, sad eyes. "I'm so sorry, poyo. I should have told you the truth, poyo. But it's really something that I have to do, poyo. It's not that far off, please can we go, poyo?"

Haru looked down at his friend sympathetically, but he just couldn't allow what he was asking. "I'm sorry, Ruby, but you understand why we can't right? We have no idea what's happening with Elie right now, she may need us as soon as possible. She comes first."

"I know it's selfish of me to ask, poyo, but-"

"NO BUTS!" Julia jumped in, startling everyone with her loud, angry tone of voice. "I have been carrying your asses around all day long and I still have a long way to go! My wings are KILLING me! There is no way on earth that I am flying anywhere else than where we need to go! You go that, shrimp?"

Ruby was trembling in the wake of Julia's out burst, much like everyone one else. But he made the rash decision of speaking up anyway.

"B-b-b-but what I have planned with be much easier for you, p-p-p-poyo." The penguin stuttered out.

Julia's furious expression quickly melted into one of intrigue at the sound of Ruby's words.

"Say what?" She asked suddenly interested.

* * *

It was decided that it wouldn't hurt to just take little detour, that would probably only last a few hours long anyway, to check out this place that Ruby wanted to go to so desperately. However, despite everyone's protests about how vexing it was, Ruby refused to tell any of them what this entire thing was all about. They were in no mood for surprises so whatever he was planning had better be good, they all thought.

Julia and Let continued to fly in the direction that Ruby had instructed them to go. "So how much farther?" Julia asked, agitation clear in her voice.

"Not much, poyo. We she be there anytime now, poyo." The creature replied.

Haru stared down at the long stretched out pasture before him as he rode silently on Let's back. It was the most beautiful shade of green and it just seemed to go on forever. It was clear that they had made some distance from Julia's mountainous home village. Most people would relish the beautiful view down below, but Haru's mind was just some place else.

Elie could be hurt, or cold, or hungry, or who knows what, and here they were taking a tour of the countryside. He almost felt ashamed of himself for this. Every second that they wasted on some detour, was another second Elie could possibly be in pain.

The last time he had seen her he had really let her down. He knew it from the depressing expression on her face. He just stood there like a moron, too scared to even do what he was thinking, considering abandoning her for his own safety. This time Seig wouldn't just pop up to save them. He had promised himself he wouldn't hesitate to defend her ever again. So why wasn't he headed strait for her right now?

He'd had it. He couldn't be patient any longer. "Hey, I want to turn around and get back on track right no-"

"There it is, poyo!" Ruby declared as he pointed his flipper downward, cutting Haru off in the process.

Everyone followed Ruby's gaze and their eyes went wide. Ruby was pointing at an enormous mansion. It was as big as any castle that any noble could live in, and it stretched on for acres. When one looked closely at it, they could see a very swanky garden party, taking place in the enormous backyard. What in the world could Ruby have to do with this place?

"Could you please lower us down here in the yard, poyo?" The little penguin asked politely.

Without saying a word, Let and Julia just obliged to the creatures request. Slowly, as to make sure they didn't land on anyone, the two dragons descended.

Very fancy looking people looked up to see what was making the two dragon shaped shadows on the ground that were getting bigger with the passing seconds. Some of them dropped their wine glasses in shock. Many could hear screams and gasps, and they all spread out, to avoid getting in either beast's way. When Let and Julia touched ground they transformed back into their human forms letting everybody off of them in the process. People still stared at them in shock, some of them were obviously terrified at the sight. Julia scoffed at them. It was clear they weren't use to seeing dragon race around here.

"What is going on, poyo?" came from a voice from the back of the crowd. A large penguin creature pushed his way through the thick gathering of fancy people to the front of the crowed to get a better look at the scene.

This creature was the splitting image of Ruby, only taller and he had a moustache. He was dressed a little similar to the monopoly guy, top hat, monocle and all. He stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the front of the crowd and his eyes rested on Ruby.

Ruby just met this penguin's gaze with pure determination in his eyes. He was ready to face him.

"Ruby, poyo…" The tall penguin breathed out in shock. "Where have you been, poyo?"

"Daddy…" Ruby addressed the creature, causing all of his friend's jaws to drop. This was Ruby's dad?

"Daddy, I have come here to speak to you about something important, poyo. I came here to apologize for running away. I was too afraid you would reject me if I told you that I didn't want to take over the family business, poyo. This past year, I have made new friends, traveled to new places, and learned many great things, poyo."

The little penguin turned to his best friend, Belnika. "I met some one who helped me find my niche, poyo."

Then he turned to Let and Haru. "I met people who helped me find a mission, poyo."

Finally he turned to Julia. "And I met some one who inspired me to find the courage to tell you this right now, daddy, poyo."

Looking back to his father he gave him an apologetic look, but still kept his determination showing. "I'm sorry I ran away from home, I should have told you, poyo. I don't want to be in the family business, I love magic, and I want to be a New Elie vassal, poyo."

Ruby was beginning to get a little teary. He bowed to his father as he said, "What do you have to say to all of this daddy?"

Everybody was dead silent, you could hear a pin drop. No one saw this coming, but for some reason, they all wanted to hear the mustached penguin's reply.

"My son, poyo…" He finally replied after a few moments. "I could never reject you, poyo. I'm proud of every thing you are, poyo. Please don't go running off without telling me again, poyo, you worry me. If you don't want to be a business man, that's fine with me, poyo, I'll always support you as long as your happy, poyo."

Ruby couldn't hold back any longer. He burst out into tears and ran to his father, embracing him, in a loving hug, which his father requited immediately.

Everyone cheered at the sweet display of emotion the penguins were putting on, as if this was the end of a touching play. As they all applaud, Belnika leaned over to Let and whispered to him.

"What the heck is going on?" She'd probably find this touching too, if she had any clue what it was about.

Let could only shrug in return. He was just as confused as she was.

* * *

"Ruby, you feaken fail to mention you're of noble blood?" Haru screeched.

They were all hanging out inside of Ruby's giant bedroom. Belnika and Julia were playing a primitive looking version of 'rockem sockem robots' and Let was watching. He never would have guessed that inner world toys could be so much fun, but that just what happens when you're raised with everything electronic growing up.

Haru wasn't interested in playing anything at the moment. He was too focused on getting answers from the little penguin.

Ruby rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "I'm not a noble, poyo. My daddy's just a wealthy merchant, poyo."

"Wealthy, my ass! You could be richer than most Nobles, kid!" Julia yelled out as she was finishing mopping the floor with Belnika for the third time in a row.

"Seriously, Ruby. I've known you for a year, I thought we were best friends, how could you keep something like this from me?" Belnika wined.

"How come you never asked, poyo", he retorted.

"How would I know to ask that? By that logic I should ask everyone I meet if they're rich!"

"It wouldn't hurt, poyo."

While the duo was bickering, Haru began to aimlessly pace around the room, waiting for them to be finished. As he took a hard look around, his eyes caught something interesting on the far side of the wall. It was a sword. Not just any sword, this thing was massive. It had to be almost eight inches wide and tall enough to almost reach his shoulders.

Haru wasn't sure why but for some reason he couldn't take his eyes off of it. He could only stare at it intensely. It was as if the weapon was calling to him, putting him in a trance.

"Isn't it cool, poyo?" Ruby's sudden voice was able to jolt him out of his thoughts. How long had he been staring for, Haru thought.

"My daddy bought that sword for me for my seventh birthday, poyo. I was going through this super hero, fighter, poyo, phase and he bought it for me. It's called the ten powers, poyo."

"What?" Belnika exclaimed as she stood up from her seat. "That is THE ten powers sword? That thing is legendary!"

"Legendary, how?" Let asked.

"Man, you guys really are from another world! The Ten powers was the sword that the legendary sword saint Shiba used to defeat the Raregooves in the war 50 years ago. It was said that Lady Resha Valentine used her Etherion magic to give him a super power boost, and he was able to take out entire armies all on his own. If Shiba hadn't died at the end of the war, then he probably would have been given a noble title too. Everyone knows that story." Julia explained.

"And this is the sword he used?" Haru asked eyes once again glued to the weapon hanging on the wall.

"That thing should be in a museum!" Belnika exclaimed.

"Yeah, my daddy said it was a killer to get, poyo. I wanted to use it, but I couldn't, poyo. The one who sold it said something, like, this sword is very picky about who it wants its owner to be, poyo, and that it's true power will only reveal itself to the one it deems worthy. So I just like to keep it for decoration, poyo."

"Let me take a look at this thing." Julia said as she reached up to grab it. It wasn't every day she got this close to a piece of Symphonian history. The second she unhooked it from the wall however, she dropped it to the floor. It made a loud thud as soon as it fell.

"Good God, Ruby, I think there's another reason you'd never be able to wield this freaken monstrosity. It ways like trillion tons!" Julia yelled.

"Really, is it that heavy?" Asked Let, surprised that it was too much for her dragon race strength. He tried to lift it up himself by the hilt, only for it not to budge an inch. She wasn't kidding.

Haru stared at the blade as if he could see something no one else did. Mutely he walked over and grabbed the hilt of the sword. To everyone's shock, He was able to lift it up, without much effort at all.

"What are you guys talking about? It's not as heavy as it looks."

Everyone just continued to stare at Haru as if he just grew a second head. How in the world was he able to do that?

Ruby spoke up first. "Wow Haru! You're really good, poyo! You should keep the sword, poyo!" The little creature excitedly yelled as he jumped up and down. This was the first time he had ever seen any one lift it. All the other times a person needed a machine or a large animal, just to get it up to his bedroom.

"Y-you're really mean that, Ruby?" Haru asked hesitantly. He didn't want to just take something so valuable from his friend.

"Yeah, poyo. If you don't, it will just keep getting dusty up on that wall, poyo."

"Take it, Haru." Julia interjected. Maybe you'll become a great swordsman with that. God knows you suck at fist fighting."

Haru scowled at Julia's comment, but he quickly brushed it off, too happy about his new sword to care. Maybe with this to aid him, he would be able to rescue Elie!

That was the moment Ruby's father had chosen to enter the room. He held a few papers in his flippers. He turned to Ruby and said. "Everything is straitened out, poyo. I made a few calls and I was able to get you and your fiends some pass ports into New Elie. I wish I knew why the security in that state is so rough, poyo. It's not that hard to get into any of the other Symphonian states, poyo."

"Thank, you, daddy, poyo. I promise to write as soon as we get there." Ruby had failed to mention they were on a rescue mission. He didn't want to worry his father and he knew his dad wouldn't allow his to go if he knew how dangerous this whole thing really was. It was best to just leave him in the dark so that he could get back to his garden party guests quicker. God knows he was holding him up with this giant favor.

He handed the papers to his son. As it turns out they had to get all of these things filled out or else it would be illegal to enter or leave New Elie. Ruby's father had never been there before himself, but luckily for every one he did have connections there.

"Alright, thank you sir! That'll make things a lot easier! Come on guys, break's over! lets get going!" Haru said anxious to get back on the road.

Julia and Let sighed exasperatedly. They weren't looking forward to carrying every body again.

* * *

**So thanks to the events of last chapter, Ruby was inspired to patch things up with his own father, and now it's smooth sailing into New Elie.**

**Yeah, right like I would ever make things that easy for them. You'll see what I mean next Friday.**

**I'm glad I'm back to doing normal sized chapters again, but I'm a little iffy on how this chapter turned out. It wasn't filler since something important happened. I would like all of you to give me feedback on this one. Tell me if you didn't like the pace, or that you wished that Haru had gotten Ten powers in a different way, or if you think the scene with Ruby and his father was a little out there, or anything you liked or didn't like about this one.**

**So tell me and Review!**

**Oh and thank you for the reviews I got last chapter.**


	15. The New Elie Border  Part 2

**I don't own Rave Master, don't rub it in!**

**The New Elie Border Part 2

* * *

**

"So what's it like in Outer world? Is it cold there? I don't like cold places. Is it true there are movie stars that live there? Have you ever met one? Can you tell me what a movie actually is exactly? Am I talking too much? You just tell me if I'm talking too much. Hey are movie stars hot? Can you-"

"SHUT UP! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SHUT YOUR FRIKEN WORD FOCIET!" Julia screamed at their driver.

Before leaving Ruby's home, his father offered them supplies for their trip, a ride and a driver to take them the rest of their way because Let and Julia kept complaining about how tedious it was to carry everybody.

This driver however was by far the strangest creature they had met in this world so far. He looked like a blue squash with beady black eyes, plump pink lips, and tiny yellow tentacles as feet. His long arms came out of his body like spaghetti strings. He went by the name of Griffon Kato, or Griff for short, and he was a great navigator. He would have been more appreciated if it weren't for the fact that he was incredibly annoying and would not stop talking.

At least the carriage they were riding in was nice. It was very swanky. When Ruby's father wanted to do something, he really went all out. Everyone had a comfortable seat. They each looked out a window at the lovely forest scenery that stretched out before them. They were only a few more minutes away from the New Elie border. No one wanted to say this out loud to the two dragon races here in fear that it would damage their ego, but they liked riding in a carriage much better. The ride was much faster because the driver didn't have to worry about anyone falling out to his or her death.

Haru was the only one without a window seat; he was squished in between Belnika and Ruby, who were too busy watching the scenery fly by to notice the look on Haru's face. The boy just could not sit still. He didn't know why but he had this anxious feeling bubbling up inside of him that caused him from to fidget in his seat. He squirmed around uncomfortably.

He was jolted out of his thoughts however by a soft rumbling noise from the distance.

"Hey it's starting to rain, poyo." Ruby declared.

Let stuck his hand out the window, expecting the palm of his hand to feel a drop and prove Ruby correct. Instead he felt the other side of his hand become wet. His eyebrows creased in confusion until more rain came.

The dragon race's eyes went wide in surprise and his mouth hung open at what he was seeing and feeling. "No… There is no way…" Let whispered to himself in disbelief as he saw little water droplets float to the sky as quickly as they would have if gravity were pulling them down. It wasn't long before the underside of the carriage was being pelted with the drops of the pouring rain.

"IT RAINS UP IN INNER WORLD?" Let exclaimed, still in shock at what he was witnessing.

"Of course it does, poyo." Ruby answered nonchalantly. "Didn't you learn anything about the water cycle in school, poyo? Water gets pulled to earth by evaporation, condensates in the ground and precipitates to the sky as rain, poyo. That's second grade stuff, poyo."

"NOT IN OUTER WORLD!" Let exclaimed. He could handle purple skies, talking animals, and people turning into dragons, but raining up? That was too much.

Julia looked to him. "What direction does Outer world rain go?" She asked.

"DOWN! ALL PERCIPITAION FALLS DOWN!"

"All of it?" Belnika asked

"YES ALL OF IT! WAIT, DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT SOME PERCIPITAION COMES OTHER WAYS?"

"Well sure." Belnika explained. Rain and sleet comes from the ground, Sunshine comes from the sky, and so does hail and snow, but for some reason, they always fall sideways whether there is wind or not. Tornados, hurricane, and other dangerous storms can come in any which way."

"WHAT? THAT IS TOO FREAKY!" Let yelled out, clearly exasperated with this world's sense of logic.

Haru said nothing this whole time. Normally he would have been just as freaked out, if not more so than Let in this situation. But something was just nagging at him from the inside. He wished he knew what it was.

As another thundering boom rang out in his ears, he clutched on the wrapped up sword on his lap tighter. All he knew for sure was that he felt truly uneasy.

"Okay the gateway to New Elie is coming up. You guys just Lay low and let me do all the talking." Griff spoke. No one felt comforted in the slightest by that plan.

They all poked their heads out the carriages window. Before them stood an enormous 20-foot tall briar fence that seemed to stretch on forever in the directions east and west. Standing all around the fence, both on the inside and out were very mean, tough looking, armed men in uniforms guarding the place. In the middle of the fence was a large gate, big enough to let a carriage through.

As they came closer to the gate, the mean looking guards kept their angry gazes on them. They saw why just flying over the gate with Let and Julia's dragon powers would have been a bad idea. Some of the guards held wands, bows, arrow, and an assortment of other weapons that gave them an uneasy feeling in the pit of their stomachs. It looked as though these guys were ready for any scenario, and getting shot down wasn't something that any of them felt like risking to experience.

One of the guards came up in front of the carriage as it slowed down to a halt. "Look, I don't care where you go, but you're not coming through here." The guard said in an intimidating voice as he glared at them coldly.

"We actually have official business in New Elie. We would appreciate you opening the gate for us." Griff spoke. Even though he was nothing more than a driver, he had been around rich snooty people plenty of times before. He knew how to sound important.

"No one's allowed in or out of this state without official paper work and permission." The guard stated coolly.

"Then I present to you, our passports and paper work. I assure you that everything is in proper order." Griff presented to the guard.

The guard snatched the papers right out of the creature's spaghetti fingers and looked them over carefully. After checking and double-checking to make certain that everything was legitimate. He turned back to the driver. Sure everything seemed to check out all right, but he still wasn't going to let these guys go that easily.

"Fine then. I presume you can pay the toll," He asked with a smirk. "The payment is five hundred thousand-"

Griff handing him the large check that was given to him to use for this very moment by Ruby's father cut him off. Yes, he had thought of everything.

The guard snatched it away and once again looked it over to make sure it was the real deal. He didn't want to loose out on these traveler's money. People didn't come to New Elie often unless they had to, but he would get in trouble with his superiors if he just let some one in just because they had cash. He came up with an idea.

"Yes, I see. Everything is in order. Now how would you enjoy an escort to your destination?" The guard asked. This way he could keep an eye on them.

"Um, I'm not so sure. I mean, I'd hate to bother any of your men to leave their posts." Griff answered nervously. No one wanted these creeps around on their rescue mission but to just say 'no' without an excuse would seem suspicious.

"Well I am sure." The guard replied.

There was nothing Griff could do in protest as four guards surrounded the carriage as it strolled off through the gate. He couldn't do anything that might make the group look suspicious. Maybe they could ditch these goons later, but for now, they were stuck with an un wanted escort that would attack, throw them out of the state, or possibly do something worse to them, if any reason was given.

The group of friends who were listening to the entire conversation between the driver and the guard looked at their escort with cold and cautious eyes through the carriage's windows. They needed a plan to get rid of these punks.

Haru was the only one who wasn't thinking about the guards. He wasn't even paying the slightest attention to them. His mind was a thousand miles away.

The teenager could feel his heart slowly pick up the pace, the as they passed beyond the gate. He was panting and beginning to sweat profusely. What was wrong with him? He wondered. It was like he was panicking on the inside. He just could not sit still.

At that very moment a large crack could be heard resonating throughout the land as lightning lit up the sky that was collecting raindrops.

"ELIE!" Haru shouted.

The boy bolted from his seat and flew open the carriage door, running away like his life depended on it. He himself didn't know why he was doing this. Instinct had completely taken over. He just let his legs take him wherever he needed to go. Adrenaline gave him the power to move like a bullet. Soon he was a dot to the rest of his group, as he zoomed along the side of the fence.

"Hey, after him!" One of the guards called out. Soon, two guards were on his trail, heading in the same direction, Haru had just dashed off in.

"Haru!" "HARU, WHAT THE HELL?" His friends yelled after him. He was going to blow everything! They had to get him back. Quickly, Let, Julia, Belnika, and Ruby were all jumping out of the carriage and running after Haru. They knew they certainly couldn't let him go out there alone, especially if he was going to be acting that dumb all day.

"Get back here!" A guard yelled as he chased after the group of friends.

Griff stared out after the fleeting group of people. There was no way he could run after them with his short legs, and his carriage while fast, could not maneuver through the forest so well when It didn't stick to the appropriate path. Things were not looking so well for him, so he figured he had better turn around and get out of this state and fast.

"Well, I think my job is finished here. I think I'll just be going-"

"No where!" Came a voice from right beside him. Griff twisted his head back to look at the man. He had forgotten that there were four guards escorting them and not all of them had left to chase after the runaways.

Griff looked at the intimidating man with scared round eyes. This wasn't going to end well for him that was for sure.

* * *

Haru had no clue why he had just done that. It was like his body was just being pulled in this direction all on it's own, and he couldn't fight it even if her wanted to. For some reason it felt like he should just trust whatever instincts were controlling him right now.

As he sped through the woods, he dodged tree branches and jumped over anything in his way. He always kept his eyes along the fence that he was running along side, so that he wouldn't get lost. As long as he kept going in this direction, he'd find his way to whatever his gut was looking for. It wasn't before long that he had ditched everyone that was chasing after him, friend and enemy alike.

Nothing distracted him, not the pelting rain below him, not the tree branches that jutted out into his path, nothing. He would not loose focus on where he was going. That was why he didn't see that small dog coming and he tripped over him, and fell to his face.

Haru looked up at what he had tripped over. It was a creature he had never seen before. It looked like a little snowman. Haru would have been more astonished by this creature's appearance, but for some reason he kept very calm, as if something inside of him told him this wasn't the time to be freaking out over a weird looking little guy.

The snowman yipped wildly, jumping up and down, pulling on Haru's pant leg. It was clear he was trying to tell him something and for some reason Haru felt that whatever it was, it was important.

The little guy pulled the teen in a certain direction and Haru could only guess that the creature wanted him to follow him.

"All right." Haru said, not sure of what he had just agreed to or whether or not the little creature could even understand, but when the little animal took off in that direction, so did Haru. Once again he let his instinct take control and his instinct told him that this creature was steering him the right way.

* * *

**(A Half Hour Before That, Just A Few Miles Down The Fence.)**

With only a few yards from the New Elie border into Makai, the only thing separating the Silver Rhythm gang from freedom was the enormous 20-foot tall brier fence and the very tough looking guards that stood in front of it.

The gang was well hidden amongst the trees and bushes; all of them were well spread out, each with their own hiding place. They were at the very edge of the forest, looking on at the blockade with no fear. If they could just get past them, the rest of the trip would be smooth sailing.

Sweat dripped down their faces. Their stomachs were churning with nervousness but they all stood calm and prepared with fearless looks on their faces. They were about to perform something that no one else in six years had successfully done, leave New Elie by force.

They waited patiently for Musica's signal. When he gave the order they would unleash their surprise attack on the guards. Amongst the melee of open fire, Musica would sneak Elie off across the border, over the fence. Once she was across safely, Musica would stay behind long enough to make sure the other gang members made their way across safely. Then, providing that his men didn't already pummel the last of the guards, he would finish the job on the creeps. Simple.

The gang gazed readily in their leader's direction where he was crouching down, hidden by some bushes. Most people couldn't see him, their enemy or even some of the other gang members, but they knew where he was and they would follow the lead of the ones who could see him.

Elie gulped down her fear, she shared a look with Plue by her feet, and he was ready for this too. The little dog nodded to her readily as if he could read her mind. Lets do this.

She turned her gaze back to Musica and held her breath in anticipation. She saw him crouching behind his bush, his own eyes focused and searching for the perfect opportunity to strike, the perfect moment.

Slowly he raised his left hand. Three of his fingers were held up high. One moment passed and he put down one finger. Another past, and he put down another finger. With only his index finger in the air, his eyes burning and his heart racing, he swiftly pointed it directly at a guard.

That was the signal!

The next thing anyone knew, an arrow shot directly at that guard, piercing him in the chest and sending him to the ground screaming. It got all of the guard's attention.

"CHARGE!" Musica yelled, and with that, the battle was on.

The guards ran in the direction the shot was fired from, ready for action. When all of a sudden, three other gang members jumped out of their hiding places and caught the goons off guard from behind. When the goons turned in the direction of their three new enemies, the gang members who they were originally going after immediately jumped them with various weapons, including chains, sticks, knives, and just about anything that could be used to hurt another person, even their fists. Anything goes, and soon those guards were surrounded. It wasn't long before they were taken out of the game.

Unfortunately, there was a lot more to come. Another five guards came running, eager to get into the fray, when suddenly the one leading the group of five, fell to ground with a roll. He was just shot with another arrow that came from another gang member in the bushes. The goons who were following behind the now wounded guard were too late to react and they ended up tripping over him and falling to the ground themselves.

It seemed like as long as Silver Rhythm had the advantage of being well hidden from plain sight as they attacked, they would have the upper hand. Unfortunately for them, not all of the gang was hidden. Those who had already jumped out of their spots to attack, were now being surrounded by more goons that just seemed to be coming out of nowhere. They weren't expecting so many enemies.

More gang members were going to have to leave their spots to defend their friends, and some of the guards were even bold enough to try and chase down some gangbangers who were in the woods. Those bold idiots however, did not last long. Once they were in the forest they were in Silver Rhythm territory.

A gang member would easily jut a foot out of their secret hiding place and trip any guard who dared to run past them. Once a guard was on the ground, they would be tackled into submission with no hope of getting up again.

Unfortunately, every time a gangbanger would move from his spot in any way, the enemy would spot him, and therefore give up any sense of safety, he would be thrown into the fray. This was why Elie hadn't moved yet. She would only go when Musica gave her the signal to run, and when he did they would make a dash right for the fence.

Elie noticed that Hebi was one of the gangbangers that were in the middle of a fight. For him it was two on one and all Hebi had to defend himself was a cheap looking machete. Elie's eyes went wide when she saw a third goon come at Hebi from behind with a knife. Quickly she concentrated her magic to put up a force field around him, much like she did with Plue back during their mugging capers. This protected him long enough to defend himself against the three goons and take one out of commission. But his fight wasn't over yet; he still had two more punks to deal with. Elie wished she could do more to help, but if she kept doing that she was sure to be seen.

The guards would send in more enemies to make up for the ones that had fallen. It seemed like for every goon that the gang took out, two or three more would pop up in his place. Every time more than a few guards would gang up on another Silver Rhythm member, another member would have to come out of hiding to aid that comrade. It wasn't long before almost every gang member was out from his hiding spot.

It wasn't long before there was an enormous melee out on the battlefield. It looked like a scene from an old cowboys and Indians film. Elie watched on in amazement at the scene before her.

"Psst. Hey."

Elie nearly jumped out of her spot when she heard someone whispering behind her. She calmed herself when she realized it was just Musica. For a second there she thought the enemy had spotted her.

"Everyone is distracted. Now's the perfect time to go." He whispered.

Nervous but ready, she nodded as she took Musica's hand. He led her out of her hiding place and out into the open. It was at that point that she realized Plue was no longer with her. She was scared for her pet. She shakily asked Musica, " W-Where's-?"

"Elie lets go!" He yelled. He refused to let go of her and he refused to stop for anything.

Elie was petrified. All around her people were fighting for their very lives. She and Musica zigzagged their way towards the fence, dodging and ducking projectiles and even people who were being tossed around the battlefield.

Elie's eyes went wide with terror as she witnessed the sight before her. It was like she was in a war zone. Everywhere around her people were getting badly injured. She winced every time she saw someone take a hit. It all looked so painful. She could practically hear the snapping of bones and somewhere in the back of her mind a voice was screaming, 'it's all for you, this is happening for you.'

Sometimes an enemy would charge in Elie's direction with a weapon in hand, but a gang member would tackle them to the ground and start beating on them before anyone would get too close to her. At one point, one guard was able to get past all of the gang's defenses. With a battleaxe in hand and a deranged look in his eye, the guard jumped at Elie from behind. At the last second, right before the weapon connected with her head, another weapon connected with the guard's head instead, knocking him out cold.

It was Musica. He used his silver claiming powers to create a pike and used it protect Elie. The whole thing happened so fast; the poor girl was too stunned to know what to do. Here she was, in the middle of an all out war zone and just two seconds ago her life could have ended and she wouldn't have even seen it coming. Luckily, Musica wasn't one to get shaken up so easily and he was there for her.

The silver claimer looked back to the scared stiff girl. In one hand was his silver weapon; in the other he still clutched on to her hand tightly. He could feel her racing pulse in her sweaty wrist. He knew he had to get her to snap out of it so that they could get out of there.

"Come on!" He shouted as he pulled her toward the fence. She didn't know how she was keeping up with him. It was as if her legs were moving on their own. She couldn't even feel them anymore.

The girl looked back over at her friends. This couldn't be right. It looked like they were loosing. They were holding their ground just fine a minute ago, but all Elie could see was her friend's bloody faces and battered exteriors. Even when a gang member fell to the ground, the guards wouldn't let up on them. They just kept beating the ever-loving crap out of them, despite their muffled cries of pain.

"Don't look back, they'll be fine!" Elie could vaguely hear Musica say.

Wait, it wasn't just them that sounded muffled the whole world did. It was like some one had shoved plugs in her ears, and not only did the world seem more hushed, it was as if everything was slowing down. What was wrong with her?

The run to the fence was in reality, only 40 seconds, but it with all that was happening around her, it felt like an eternity for poor Elie. This wasn't anything like the movies. From the first war movie Elie had ever seen, she never liked them. The idea of watching large groups of people kill each other just wasn't for her. But at least in those films the people seemed to be fine, like they knew what they were doing. Elie just couldn't get a grip. Maybe it was because she knew and cared about these people and that they were doing all of this for her sake, that she was feeling so shocked. If it wasn't for Musica, who knew what would be happening to her right now.

"Okay, start climbing!" Musica ordered.

He didn't have to say it twice. Elie climbed up the side of that giant fence with every ounce of strength and speed that was inside of her. She didn't know how she was doing this. It was as if some survival instinct had taken over her and left the rest of her numb. It was like she was trapped inside of her own body while some unknown force had taken over. She hated this feeling of not being in control. She owned this state, she should be in control of everything, but at the same time she was grateful for it. She knew she wouldn't be moving so fast without it.

As she climbed up the fence her mind was set on one thing. It wasn't that she had gone before Musica and that the guy could probably see up her dress, and it wasn't how badly she was getting scrapped up the sharp parts of the fence. Her mind was just repeating the same thing over and over again. 'I want this to be over, I want this to be over, I want this to be-

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Elie was jolted out of her shock when she felt a huge, intense, electric sensation wracking her whole body. She had just been electrocuted. Her twitchy body fell back in pain. She was only three feet from the top of the fence and her way out of this nightmare, when her body gave out and she stared falling back. Her whole body felt the impact when she hit the dirt and for a few seconds her vision got a little spotty.

"ELIE- GAAAHHHHH!"

She heard Musica scream. Had he been hit too? Her question was answered when she felt Musica's body land next to her own.

Elie tried to get up when all of a sudden she felt a sharp pull on her scalp, causing her to let out a yelp. Some one had just taken a fist full of her hair and pulled her to her knees. The girl clenched her eyes shut in pain, but before she could open them she could feel the grip on her disappear and the sound of Musica yelling, "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

She could only assume that the pain relief was because of something he did to whoever grabbed her. She finally squinted her eyes when she felt a more gentle person grab her shoulders and hoist her to her feet. Musica was standing over her, looking at her with a pained and concerned expression. His bloody face horrified Elie.

"Elie, listen to me. I miscalculated. I didn't know any of these goons would be packing this kind of magic. We've gotta retreat. Run back into the forest and we'll catch up. Don't stop running no matter what. Don't assume that you're far enough away until you can't hear anybody any more. Understand?"

Elie immediately wanted to protest that idea. She didn't want to leave anybody behind. They came here to leave this state together. She couldn't just go back in the forest. Sadly, the poor girl couldn't respond. She couldn't even shake her head. She was in shock.

Musica took her silence as a 'yes' and shoved her in the right direction.

Her mind screamed at her not to do this. She can't just abandon her friends, not like this, but for some reason her body refused to listen to her. She was in survival mode and her body refused to do anything that dangerous. It was hurt and scared and too shocked to hear anything it had to say.

As she made her way to the forest she could vaguely hear a voice call out a say "Don't let that bitch get away!"

Even in her fogged mind Elie knew right away that that was the voice of an enemy and that they were undoubtedly chasing after her.

She just let her numb legs take her any direction. She could feel branches, and rocks, and many other things that she didn't stop to identify pull at her and scrape her as she raced through the woods. She didn't care as long as she wasn't caught. If they caught her, everything would be all over.

Minutes ticked away, or maybe it was hours. She couldn't tell. All she knew was that she was running and her pace didn't slacken even when she was sure she had lost the guys.

The next thing she knew she felt a raindrop hit her chin. Then another. It wasn't long before it was raining hard. For some reason as the cold water drenched her body, she began to snap out of her daze. She still didn't slow down, however she did become more aware of her sore and pained muscles. Her legs felt like rubber from overuse and the sound of her beating heart resonated in her ears.

Her mind exploded with a million different things. Her friends could be dying in a fight against those guards and they were only there because of her. It was all her fault. She had no one else to turn to. Her home, her entire state, was now under control of a mad man. Where could her vassals be? Were they dead, like her parents?

Elie wasn't sure if she was crying or not, her entire body was soaked, but at that moment, anything terrible that had ever happened to her all seemed to be culminating into this giant hopelessness that was devouring her insides. What was she going to do?

At that moment she heard some heavy footsteps coming up close from behind her, but she wouldn't dare turn around and check. Fearing that those evil guards had finally caught up with her, she tried to pour on the speed but she just couldn't. She was running on empty as it was. She was surprised she hadn't collapsed. All she could do was keep going. Do whatever it takes.

The next thing the terrified girl knew, strong arms were encircling around her, lifting her off her feet.

"NO! AAAAHHHHH! LET ME GO!" Elie's mind exploded with fear as she closed her eyes tightly. This was the worst possible case scenario! She screamed, cried, kicked out and wiggled in the stranger's arms, but he would not loosen his grip. It was like she was having a panic attack. She just wanted to roll up in a ball and make everything go away.

Then something amazing happened. She heard the stranger say something. She couldn't make it out exactly over the sound of pouring rain and her own cries, but his voice was so wonderful. It soothed her right down to her very core and penetrated all of her anxieties.

She felt whoever was holding her put her down and turn her around so that he could face her. Elie's eyes went wide at the sight before her.

"Elie, it's me..."

Haru was standing there, holding her, soaking wet from the rain. His beautiful purple eyes illuminated the dark atmosphere as they bore into Elie's with so many feelings swirling around in them, Happiness, excitement, worry, concern, and a few other emotions that she just couldn't place at the moment.

No, this couldn't really be him. The stress she was feeling had caught up with her. She was seeing things. Haru was suppose to be in Outer world right now, completely safe and oblivious of her situation. It just wasn't possible.

But as she stared into those bright, purple orbs that she adored so much, she realized at least a minute had gone by and he was still there. The feel of his warm arms around her was still there comforting her. She could feel his heavy pants mingle with her own. This was all very real.

Haru was here. The thing that truly gave away that this was not a dream was that she all of a sudden felt so much lighter. All of the fears that had been tearing her apart only a few minutes ago all seemed to have vanished. She couldn't recall a single one of them.

She knew that whenever she was with Haru she could just let go of everything, and so she did. The last thing she felt before falling into unconsciousness was her head suddenly warmly resting on Haru's shoulder.

* * *

**Oh come on, I think you all know those two long enough to know that whenever one of them feels depressed, the other will be right there in a heart beat.**

**Haru and Elie are finally together again! Whoo hoo! Everybody rejoice.**

**Sorry for leaving you on a cliffhanger everybody, but don't worry next Friday will be here before you know it.**

**Oh and once again I'd like to remind everyone one that Inner world is my creation and I can make it rain up if I want it to and I do, so put that in your pipe and smoke it, physics! Ha!**

**For everyone who reviewed last chapter, thank you. Thank you very much! Please review for this one too.**

**Bye for now!**


	16. The New Elie Border  Part 3

**The New Elie Boarder End Part.**

**Don't look at me. I don't own Rave Master.

* * *

**

Elie's eyes shot open at the sound of a loud thundering boom. It was still pouring hard. She was panting heavily. She must have had a bad dream, but for some reason she couldn't remember any of it. It was all hazy. She couldn't even remember falling asleep.

Her eyes shifted around so that she could identify her surroundings. Was she in a tent? What was she doing? Camping? All she could hear was the white noise of the rain pattering on the tent and the occasional rumbling of thunder. She hated that sound. Thunder always reminded her of her parent's deaths. She heard a loud thundering boom the night they had died. She was so scared by the sound that she hadn't moved a single muscle beyond her eyes from the second she woke up.

Then she noticed something else. It was warm and heavy and it was resting on her stomach. Slowly, the Grand Duchess shifted her head down to what the warm heavy item was.

An arm? Some one was resting their arm on top of her. Her eyes traced up to the arm owner's face. Elie was very relieved to find that it was only Haru's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful as he slept. He was lying right next to her on his side facing her. He snored softly with his mouth hanging open and some drool seeping from it. Elie couldn't help but smile at his silly looking face. Haru was sleeping right beside her with his arm gently draped around her. She could only blush at the predicament she was in.

So it must have all been a dream, Elie thought to herself. She couldn't remember how she had gotten there. Maybe Haru and her had decided to go camping this weekend. Yeah, that must be it. The reason why she couldn't remember this was because she had just woken up from a very life-like and very terrifying dream. Sometimes that happens to people. They have a very seemingly real dream and when they wake up, they have a hard time telling the difference between that and reality, but if she gave it a minute than it would all come back to her.

The girl let out a sigh of relief that none of those things that she dreamed about actually happened. Her state was fine. No one was coming to get her. She was Outer world where every one was oblivious to her noble status and any one who would want to hurt her couldn't find her. She giggled to herself as she stared at the tent's ceiling. She should have known it was a dream the second Haru had showed up. He had no idea that Inner world even exists.

"Snore~ HM? HUH? WHAT?"

Haru's eyes popped open as he sat up and quickly twisted his head around in multiple directions as if he was startled. It seemed as though Elie's soft giggling had woken him up. Maybe he wasn't sleeping as deeply as she originally thought.

Haru's eyes focused on Elie's as he calmed down. Elie giggled again at his awakening.

"Hee hee, good morning." She smiled at him cheerfully staring up at him from her pillow.

Haru stared down at her like he was seeing a ghost, and then he did something that truly sent Elie for a loop. He picked up her upper torso in his arms and held her in a gentle embrace. It was like a terrible tragedy had occurred and he was relived to see she wasn't apart of it. Elie was shocked by his actions but in no way protested, a coating of blush spread across her face though.

"Aw man." Haru breathed. "Is it good to see you're all right." He gently pushed her away so that he could look her in the eyes.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Elie asked confused.

"When you were taken away, I was so scared that you might have been locked in a dungeon or something, or that you were abused by your captors, or anything! Then when I finally found you, you freaken faint on me! I was afraid you might be sick or something!" Haru blurted out.

Elie's eyes widened at what her friend were saying to her, she turned her head down to look at herself so quickly it almost gave her whiplash. She was wearing the same clothes she was wearing in that so called dream. Not only that but she could visibly see bandages coving the cuts and scrapes she knew had come from the briar fence. Realization hit her. She didn't dream any of it.

Haru noticed Elie's face pale and worry began to set in again. He put a hand on her fore head, brushing her bangs out of the way in the process. "Elie, are you sure you're not sick? You feel a little warm." He didn't know that the heat he felt was caused by his close contact.

Elie looked Haru dead in the eye. "Haru… Do you know where we are?"

He gave the question a half smile, knowing the topic was going to come up eventually. He moved his hand off of her fore head and reached for the tent door. He pulled a curtain aside to reveal beautiful forest scenery. Rain tinkled upwards and pattered against the bottom of bright green leaves and flowers. The sky was a dark grayish purple color as the dusk ever so slowly turned to dawn. They must have been asleep since yesterday.

Elie's eyes looked on in wonder at the sight before her as she crawled closer to the tent's door next to Haru to get a better look for herself. It was like coming home all over again, but how could Haru be here with her? He was an Outer worlder. He shouldn't have even known this place's existence, let alone how to get here. She looked up at his face. He was staring out at the gorgeous scene before them. Why wasn't he even shocked about any of this? He looked so calm.

Suddenly his voice snapped her out of her question filled train of thought. "You didn't tell me your home was anything like this."

Elie sat by the spot next to him. For a few minutes they both just silently stared out of the tent and at the rainy forest they lay stretched out before them. Elie searched her head of what to say to the boy, until she finally came up with something.

"You probably have a lot of questions." Elie stated without taking her eyes off the rain.

"Not as many as you think. Seig cleared up a lot of things." Haru said also not looking away from the rain.

Elie however did look up at the boy with an eyebrow raised at that last remark. "Seig told you? No way. He's not the blabber mouth type."

"I don't know, maybe he wasn't telling the whole truth. Are you really the Grand Duchess of New Elie and bad guys are after you because you inherited the great power Etherion in this dimension?"

Elie's face went pale again and her eyes went wide at Haru's words. After a few minutes she didn't say anything and Haru looked down at her in concern.

"Oh my God. What happened to him?" Elie whispered in fear.

"What?"

"I know Seig well enough to know he'd never tell an Outer worlder the truth unless it was a life or death situation, and I also know that the only reason he wouldn't come to get me himself is if he just couldn't under any circumstances. He is the most loyal vassal I know! I-I don't remember what happened to him before I came here. I-It's all a blur. What happened to him, Haru?"

Elie was close to panicking. Haru put his hands on her shoulders and attempted to calm her down. "Hey, hey, listen. Sieg was a little banged up when we left him, but it's nothing he won't recover from. He had to send us to find you. He didn't think he'd be well enough in time to help you. Now calm down. You'll wake up my friends."

Elie let out a sigh at the news of Sieg's survival. Relief washed over her. Then she remembered something else Haru had mentioned. "What do you mean friends?"

"Let came with me to Inner world. Sieg told us how to get here. Then when we got here, we made some new friends who showed us around and helped us out. I'll introduce you when they wake up." Haru explained as he pointed out of the tent and at another one that was pitched right beside their own.

"I can't believe I just found you running through the woods. I was expecting to have to fight my way through a dungeon to find you. After I caught you, you fainted and I carried you all around the forest for about 15 minutes until I found my friends who were looking for me. I sorta ran off on them. Then we set up camp. They were real nice and let us have this tent to us. You've been asleep since then. I can only imagine what you've been through yesterday."

Elie smiled at her friend. That was so like Haru to make some new friends to help him. She allowed herself relax as she leaned her head against Haru's shoulder. "Heh heh. When you found your friends, did you say 'she hurt her foot, will you please help her'?

They both chuckled at the old memories. It felt so good.

"Haru, I… I'm sorry for not telling you a long time ago. I really wanted to. I guess the secrets out now, though… I'm Grand Duchess Elie Valentine."

"I get why you didn't tell me. I'm not mad." Haru spoke.

Elie felt her heart flutter. She closed her eyes in bliss. After everything that happened, he wasn't mad.

"Now that we found you, this whole mess is almost over. Just tell the Symphonian king all the trouble and then we can finally go home. I don't even want to think about how much school we missed."

Surprised, Elie's eyes popped open at that comment. Didn't he know?

"Haru, I can't go back." Elie took her head off his shoulder to look at his face

Haru twisted his head over to see her expression. What did she mean by that? That can't be true.

"This is my home, and it's in trouble, it needs me. Some one has taken over New Elie and the king must be notified. I must get to the capitol and alert him of this. It's the only way to save my people. After that I have a lot of work to do to rebuild it. I can't just go right on back to living in Outer world after this." Elie tried to explain. She knew from the day she was able to unlock Etherion again things could never go back to what they used to be,

"What?" Haru exclaimed at her explanation. She had to come back with him. That was the whole reason he came to Inner world in the first place, to bring her back with him, so that things could definitely be like the way they used to be.

No. No! This wasn't the plan. Haru shook his head furiously as he grabbed her hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

"But I need you! What about-!" Haru stopped himself as he looked at the situation he was in. What in the world was he talking about? He understood completely what she was saying. He'd probably do the same thing in her position. To make her come back with him would be selfish. He loosened his grip on her hand.

Elie's face was a shade of pure crimson thanks to Haru's outburst and handholding but she shook it off so that she could continue.

"Besides Haru, They know where I live. They'd just come to steal me away again. No one will be safe until these guys go away for good."

"Yeah." Haru said sullenly. What was he thinking? There was no way he could do what he felt like doing inside. She was a Grand Duchess. She was born and raised in a castle, probably given the best of everything, and taught with the best. She was born a privileged individual, and for all he knew, she probably had a million suitors who were also privileged individuals. It wasn't as though he was putting himself down in comparison, but he didn't even come from the same dimension. When all of this was over, would he ever see her again?

He looked into her eyes. That didn't matter. Future be damned! She needed his help, here and now. And he was never the one to refuse her when she was in need.

"I'll help. We'll all take you to the capitol and save this state. Hey we came this far, why not go all the way?" Haru smiled

Elie smiled back with the most grateful eyes. "Thank you so much." She said sincerely.

She stared into those beautiful purple eyes of his. He was here with her in Inner world. If it weren't for New Elie being in danger, this would have been a dream come true.

She had purple eyes and purple skies.

Speaking of purple skies, it was at that very moment that the rain began to let up, just in time for the sunrise. It was the most beautiful thing either of them could imagine. Elie turned back to Haru. She was curious to know if he was as amazed by the sight as her. Feeling her eyes on him, Haru turned to Elie. They were both caught up in each other's eyes.

Slowly she began to feel herself get sucked into those violet orbs, like they were calling to her somehow. As she leaned in closer, the only sound that could be heard was her soft intake and outtake of breath.

Haru liked the feel of her sweet breath on him. The sound seemed so lulling, almost hypnotic. It wasn't until he could feel his own breath mingling with hers that he realized he had been leaning in closer to her.

There was a part of his mind that screamed 'you just got over telling yourself why this could never happen, what are you doing?' but as he inched even closer to Elie that part of his mind just seemed to get more and more muffled, until he could focus on nothing else but this moment.

When their faces were only an inch away from each other's Elie's head leaned right, Haru's leaned left, and their eyes gently closed. They held their breath. Their lips were but a centimeter away when all of a sudden…

WHAAAM!

Both teenagers were shocked out of their wits when they saw an arrow-hit home directly into the closest tree to them. Haru was completely thrown off guard. What was going on? Did those punks at the gate catch up to them?

Elie however recognized right away whose arrow that belonged to and she also knew what was going to happen next. If only she was fast enough to stop it.

Before Haru could even fully get out of the tent, he was tackled to the ground. A Silver Rhythm gangbanger had him pinned to the ground and Haru's face was pressed down hard against the dirt.

"You keep your dirty mitts off of our girl and we won't have a problem, dick weed!" He threatened Haru.

Elie immediately stood up from her spot. She opened her mouth to say something to her fellow gang member

"Wait, there's no reason to-"

Before she could finish Haru threw the guy off his back and into a tree. This gave Haru plenty of time to quickly speed past Elie, reach back into the tent, and grab his new sword. He was just itching to try it out and get his revenge against the people who took Elie away. Too bad he didn't know this wasn't one of those guys.

Elie was shocked to see Haru wielding a sword. "Where did you get that? Uh, never mined! Haru that guy-"

"Don't worry, Elie. I'll make sure this guy never gets close to you!" He charged at the thug with all his might, hoping to make contact with his new weapon, He raised it over his head, preparing to strike, when suddenly, he found that his sword just wouldn't move. It was like somebody had grabbed it from behind.

The teenage boy turned his head around to see who would be so bold as to try anything like that only to get punched directly in the face and go flying. He hit his head hard off the ground as he rolled forward, causing it to throb a little.

When he was able to get his barring, he looked up and saw the face of a very pissed off looking thug with three piercings in one eyebrow and short, spiky, dark hair. The craziest part of him was the fact that in one hand he had a long silver chain that was completely wrapped around the ten powers that had managed to be knocked out of his hands.

"Damn, how does he lift that thing." The silver chained man muttered to himself. He turned to his fallen comrade. "This guy looks like trouble, I'll take care of him! You and the other guys get Elie to safety!"

"Musica!" Elie yelled out to her gang's leader, trying to get his attention, but it was a no go.

"I'll show you trouble." Haru seethed as he got up from the ground.

"Haru!" He wasn't listening either.

It was at that point that five more guys came out of the forest's woodworks. They were other member's of Silver Rhythm and they were ready for action. They charged right towards Elie, ready to get her the heck out of there, but Haru mistook them for attackers.

He dived towards where his sword was tied up by Musica's chain and in one swift motion he grabbed it by the hilt and pulled the weapon up off the ground, breaking the chain in the process. He got in between Elie and the thugs, swinging his sword in a way that warned them to back off.

The five guys stepped back, genuinely surprised at how this guy was able to break their leader's silver chain. Even Musica was slightly stunned by it. He had never met anyone with the strength to break his silver. Surely this man must be some kind of super human. Still he would not back down. He had made a promise to Elie to protect her.

Unbeknownst to him however, Haru had made the same promise. "Elie, go hide in Let's and the other's tent where it's safe." He instructed her as he lightly pushed her in that direction with one free hand, the other hand firmly on his blade.

Elie stumbled into the tent. All right now she was getting mad. "Would you guys listen?"

Suddenly an angry face popped out of the tent beside her, startling Elie who was only about a foot away.

**_"WHAT THE_ **#$%** _ON A_ **%&^&#** I_S GOING ON YOU_ **#$%**S?**

**_IT'S TOO_ **#^%#$%^$#** _EARLY IN THE_ **$%#^** _MORNING FOR THIS KIND OF _**#$%^#** _NOISE, YOU_ **$&^%$*^#%** _WADS!_**

**_IF I DON'T GET MY_ **&#$%$#^$** _BEAUTY SLEEP, I'M GONNA_ **#%$^$%#% ^#%^#$** _ALL YOU_ **^%$#^** _GUYS IN THE_ **^%$&^%$ **_WITH_ A **#$%^$#%^$** AND **#$%^$#^#** IN THE **%$^$%&** WITH **$%^&$&*** AND EXTRA **%#&^#$** SO HARD!**

**_THEN I'LL_ **#$%#$%** _RIP OUT YOUR_ **#%^#^** _WITH A_ ***%*^&$^&*** _AND _**%$#^%#$&** _SHOVE IT RIGHT UP YOUR _**%#$&#%^% **_SO THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU WANNA_ **$%&^&$##** _YOU'LL HAVE TO_ **^%&*%*#^%$ **_SIDEWAYS!_**

**_ALL THE WAY TO THE_ **&*$%#$^#$** _BANK!"_**

After the woman finished making that obscene speech she looked to the right to finally notice Elie standing there in shock. Never had the Grand Duchess heard anyone scream so many curse words at once before.

Julia was more than a little embarrassed that that was her first impression she left with the Grand Duchess. She wanted to say something nice when the girl woke up so they could properly be introduced. The dragon race girl searched her head for anything she could say to make this situation a little less awkward. She came up short and instead extended her hand out to the noblewoman and said this with a cheery face.

"Hi. I'm Julia, nice to meet you."

Elie shook her hand as she looked at her new friend awkwardly. Then she remembered what was so important.

"Julia you have to listen to me, we've gotta stop this fight now- AHH!" She was startled when she suddenly felt herself get lifted from the ground and thrown over someone's shoulder

It was another gang member that had jumped out of the forest's bushes to come get her. As he was running away with her he said, "Don't worry kiddo, I've got ya! You're safe now!"

Then next thing that gangbanger knew, he was staring strait into a large, black, dragon, standing in his way. At the sight of Elie being snatched up, Julia quickly reverted into her dragon form and flew right over the thug's head to land in front of him and block his escape. Both Elie and her fellow gang member looked up at the beast with amazement.

"Elie, sweetie, don't you worry about a thing. This fight will be over quick.

The Grand Duchess thrown over the man's shoulder, let out an aggravated sigh as her amazement over the dragon changed back into the frustration she was just feeling a few minutes ago. That is not what she meant by that.

To help their comrade with that enormous beast, two more gang members jumped out of the bushes with weapons in hand. They were ready to throw down. This was starting to get a little scary for Elie. The last thing she wanted was for anymore of her friends to get hurt, especially if the fight was unnecessary.

"We don't have to do this! We- hey!" Suddenly Elie felt herself get pulled off of her friend's shoulder by some one extremely tall and strong.

At closer inspection she found that she was now being held up by a long, green dragons tail that was wrapped around her waist. The green dragon curled itself around the girl in a protective fashion as it kept its eyes focused on the black one.

" Julia, I have Elie safe with me. Feel free to fire when ready!"

Elie felt herself tense up in shock. She recognized this green dragon's voice, but it couldn't be.

"Let?" She asked the beast that had her in his tail in pure disbelief.

The dragon nodded and Elie went bizerk.

"W-what? How did- you're a- uh- dragon?" She just couldn't find the words to describe this situation. Maybe she was dreaming after all.

"GRAHHH!"

A loud scream knocked them both off of their train of thought. They turned their attention to Julia. Some more gang members came out of the woodwork and pulled a sneak attack on her. Super beast like strength or not, she was still out numbered and her attackers looked like they knew what they were doing. Let knew she would need his help.

Swiftly, he put Elie down behind him. He was so fast it almost made Elie dizzy and she needed a minute to recollect herself. She could hear Let call out, "Belnika, Ruby, take care of Elie!"

Huh? Who was Belnika and Ruby? The girl thought to herself. Her question was quickly answered when a purple haired woman and a talking penguin sprang up in front of her line of vision. They quickly grabbed one of her hands in each of their own and shook it vigorously.

The purple haired woman spoke fast as she introduced herself. "Hello. My name is Belnika Gardener. This is my friend, Ruby."

"Poyo!" Was all the creature was able to say. He was so star struck by Elie's presence.

Belnika just went right on talking. "We are such huge fans of yours! I mean your entire family! This is such an honor to finally get to meet you, here, in person! We were wondering if there were any positions open for vassals currently! I mean you probably don't know right now, since you've been in Outer world all this time! By the way did you enjoy your time there? Oh goodness, I'm being such a spazz aren't I?"

All the while the duo did not let go of Elie's hands. They just kept shaking them continuously. They finally stopped when a gang member being thrown into a tree near them startled them. The duo yelped in surprise, letting go of the Grand Duchess's hand and grabbing onto each other.

The noblewoman had other, more important things to worry about now than these two. She looked around the camp sight, which now looked more like a battlefield. Haru was battling out against Musica with his silver claimed spear vs. Haru's giant sword.

On the other end of the camp sight, Julia and Let were both in dragon form fighting against most of the Silver Rhythm gang, and Belnika and Ruby were hugging each other cowering in a ball. She had to find away to end this.

She called out to Let and Julia. "Guys, please stop! Those are my friends!"

"You heard the woman, were her friends! Now beat it!" Let yelled.

"No I mean THEY'RE my friends!" She corrected. This was just too much.

No! She wouldn't have this anymore. If she couldn't even get her own friends to listen to her, how would she be able to command an entire state? What would a good Grand Duchess do, she thought to herself.

She looked towards Musica and Haru with furious determination. They were going at it head to head with no sign of stopping. She stormed over to where they were, not even thinking of what harm could be brought down upon her by interfering with their battle.

At that moment the Outer worlder and the silver claimer were in a stalemate, with both of their powerful weapons pressing down on one another. They gazed into each other's eyes hatefully, neither of them willing to give an inch, only focusing on each other.

That was why neither of them saw it coming when Elie just smacked their heads together. They were momentarily stunned as they took a minute to rub their sore fore heads. Then they looked to the noblewoman who had interfered with their fight with an expression that clearly asked 'what the hell was that all about?'

Elie angrily placed both her hands on her hips as she glared at the two. Finally she had their attention.

"EVERYBODY LISTEN UP!"

The girl yelled getting the attention of everybody fighting. They all stopped whatever they were doing to pay attention to the Grand Duchess. Belnika and Ruby stopped cowering long enough to look at her. Let stopped chewing on one guy's leg long enough to look up and even the guy who was getting chewed on and his friends who were trying to safe him froze and looked at her. Julia was about to throw one guy clear across the woods but she stopped right as the guy was above her head. Everyone was frozen, waiting to hear what Elie had to say.

"I have had it with this fighting! By order of Grand Duchess Valentine you are all to stop it this instant!" She yelled.

"What? But these guys are trying to kidnap you!" Musica and Haru gapped at each other when they realized they had just said that at the exact same time.

"What? No I'm not!" They once again said at once, this time to each other.

"No one here is a kidnapper! Haru here is an old friend of mine from Outer world and he and his friends have come here to rescue me from my captors and Musica helped me get away, provide refuge and attempted to get me to the capitol!" Elie yelled as she pointed out her friends.

Haru was about to interject when Elie cut him off. "No! Listen to me! I demand order! By decree of his majesty, the king of Symphonia, I am legally in control of this state! Now I may have lost control of my land for now, but gosh darn it, I will not be ignored by my own friends, and I don't give a flying rats patooty what anyone else has to say!"

Julia snickered at the word patooty. How cute, Elie was like a little kid who didn't know how to curse, but she made sure not to let the noblewoman hear her giggles. She was trying to be serious.

"From now on, I declare that the Silver Rhythm gang and Haru's group will work together to get to the capitol for a meeting with the Symphonian king as of right now! Starting with getting us over the New Elie border, by order of Grand Duchess Valentine! Am I clear?"

* * *

**Have you ever noticed that Elie never cursed in the original series? Almost everyone else did but not her. Not even a semi curse. (A word that is not technically a swear but you still can't say it on a kids show, like hell and crap, etc.) I always thought that that made her kind of cute. Just putting that in there.**

**Well looks like they'll be working together for now. Maybe they'll have a better shot at getting out this time. What do you think? Is there safety in numbers or will they not be able to pull themselves together as a team by that time? You will find out next Friday.**

**Thank you to everybody who reviewed.**

**Please review some more.**

**Gangsta out!**


	17. The New Elie Border  End Part

**The New Elie Border End Part**

**Seriously guys, if I owned Rave Master, would I be hanging around here?

* * *

**

"There is no way this is going to work. We're gonna die." Musica grumbled from where he was hiding.

Once again the Silver Rhythm gang was hiding in the brushes looking upon the fence that separated New Elie from the rest of Inner world. This time things were different. They had the back up of Haru, Belnika, Julia, Let, and Ruby, but that wasn't the biggest issue. This was not the exact same part of the fence that they had tried to take last time.

Instead of the original plan of going north into Makai and then east into the Capitol, they were going directly northeast into the capitol state itself. It took a few days for them to reach it but now they had finally arrived. It was time to get to freedom.

"Don't be so pessimistic. We're gonna be fine." Elie whispered, her own hiding place, not so far off to the left to Musica.

"Oh yeah? Elie, the goons posted at the fence separating New Elie from the Capitol are the strongest they've got. We barely managed to get away with our asses intact last time, what makes you think this won't be a repeat performance, or worse?"

If it were up to Musica, they would be sticking to the original plan, but they took a vote, Haru's team included, and it was decided that the quickest way to meet with the king was the best. Besides, to attack the New Elie/ Makai border so quickly after their defeat would probably be a bad idea. It was most likely that they would be beefing up security around that area. Everyone in New Elie had heard of the reputation of the New Elie/ Capitol border patrol. No one was dumb enough to attack it. They had the element of surprise, but that didn't help them last time, so the outcome of this escape could be anyone's guess.

"Things will be fine because you guys have me now." Haru whispered arrogantly to Musica from his right.

The two glared at each other for a minute. Elie sighed at their childishness. "And people call me immature." A thought quickly came to her head. She just remembered some one important. The girl opened up the leather brown bag that was slung over her shoulder and poked her head inside to view it's contents. Inside was her sweet little Plue dog sitting quietly with her magic books and various other luggage that she had packed.

There was plenty of room for Plue inside her bag, and although she felt like one of those stuck up, bratty, rich, Outer world girls that she heard about, keeping a small dog inside of her bag, she wanted to keep Plue safe. Last time he was apart of the battle, she had lost sight of him and although she discovered later that it was thanks to him that Haru had found her, she still didn't want to risk loosing him in this fight. Musica was right this was probably going to be more brutal, and she wanted Plue safe.

"Hey Plue. You okay in there?" She asked the creature. The little guy nodded and Elie smiled at he little guy before she closed up the bag. Now that she knew he was just fine, she could go ahead and worry about her other friends.

She looked over at Haru and Musica. She was defiantly going to have to depend on them. She wasn't sure why, but neither of them had really hit it off with each other. The rest of the Silver Rhythm gang had truly taken a shine to Let and her new friends. Especially Julia, but Muscia and Haru were like water and oil. They didn't mix and if they tried to, it would lead to some awful results.

It was like Musica brought out the worst in Haru. He was acting much more cocky than he use to. It was like he was trying to prove himself. He refused the idea of acting like a novice in front of him. Every time Elie stood close to Musica and Haru was nearby, the Outer worlder would just go into a fit or start pouting. What was all that about?

Musica wasn't taking Haru's presence well either. Maybe it was because Haru looked like a runt next to him and yet he still managed to almost beat him in a fight, although it was impossible to determine a winner because Elie stopped them from killing one another, but still, that didn't happen to Musica very often and he didn't like it. The gang leader would never fail to call Haru out on any embarrassment, and tease the kid endlessly.

It really got on Elie's nerves. She could be friends with Musica and she could be friend's with Haru, but those two couldn't be friends with each other, and for what? Stupid reasons like who could have won a fight that was pointless from the start. That was just silly.

Elie just really hoped that they would be able to pull it together for the sake of everybody fighting to escape today. She couldn't afford anything going wrong simply because they couldn't work together.

"Hey sweet child, you ready for this?"

Elie was startled when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and a voice speak to her from behind. The noblewoman whipped her head around to find Julia grinning at her. The dragon race woman was covered from head to toe with mud, her hair was messy and she smelled like sweat and dirt. It looked as though she had finished her first job for 'operation: cross the border, take 2'.

The noble woman stared at the female dragon race with wide round eyes as she tried to control her breathing from the scare just now. For a split second Elie was so sure that it was an enemy sneeking up on her. She was glad that she didn't scream. That would have given away everything.

"Julia…Don't scare me like that… You know I'm a nervous wreak already, and keep your voice down."

"Whoopsie. Sorry, kiddo. But the escape rout is secure, we are a go." The woman saluted.

Elie really liked Julia. She didn't have many female friends, but with Julia, it was like having a guy friend in a girl's body so adjusting to having her around was easy. She treated her like a little sister, just like the rest of the gang. Was it really that hard to come off like an upper class noblewoman? Never mind. That wasn't important now. All that mattered was that stage one of the operation was complete and it was all thanks to Julia, Let, and everyone else who worked on stage one.

It was at that moment that Let had choose to trudge up besides Julia. He had a haunted look in his eyes, like he had just been through so much and he looked to be in the same shape as Julia, completely covered from head to toe in dirt. His eyes stared numbly forward and he was hunched over like he was exhausted.

"So… Much… Digging…" Let muttered out.

Julia rolled her eyes at the guy. She had been helping her mother dig through mountain soil for their garden every afternoon since she was a little girl. That was nothing for her, especially with everyone's help.

"Snap out of it, pansy ass. Our job isn't done." She gave Let a couple of light slaps to the face to snap him out of his stupor. Normally she would have just given him one big smack to wake him but she knew she had to be quiet for now.

"Wow you guys are finished already? You just started like a few hours ago. Heh. Maybe we should call you zero." Haru commented generally impressed with his friend's digging abilities.

"You think I'm a zero?" Julia glared at Haru angrily, ready to pop him one for what she thought was an insult.

Haru immediately realized his mistake and tried to correct himself. "What? No, no, I meant like that fast digger from 'Holes.'"

"What hole? What digger?" Julia snapped, not understanding Outer world literature or movies.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything, just please don't get mad." The teenage Outer worlder cried out as he put his hands up in a defensive surrender, having no interest in picking a fight with Julia.

"You two mind shutting your talk holes for second?" Musica snapped at the two of them.

"Tch! Fine." Julia scoffed. "Come on Let, We've gotta grab Winggus and Dinggus. It's show time."

The dragon race woman grabbed Let by his shirt collar and before Let even knew what to say, he was being hauled off by the aggressive woman to their battle station.

"Alright, as soon as we get the signal, it's time to haul ass, got it fellas?" Musica ordered everybody. They all nodded their heads determinedly except for Haru who just rolled his eyes at how bossy Musica could be. Thankfully the silver claimer chose to ignore the Outer world teenager's arrogant attitude. This was not the time to be starting fights.

They all sat in their respective hiding places and waited patiently for the right time to make their move.

* * *

"Okay, let's say there's a knife to your neck and the guy holding it there says you gotta marry some body famous, sleep with some body famous, and kill some body famous. Go!"

Two guards at the New Elie border were just hanging back, having an early break. They sat down with their backs leaning against the fence in an area that wasn't so painful to touch. This was where they sat everyday, for lunch ever since they had been hired as guards. If they had been caught just sitting around during work hours they would have been in big trouble with their boss, but today it was such a nice day. The sun was shining, the weather was not too hot or too cold, and for what seemed to be the millionth day in a row, everything was peaceful. They didn't know why the toughest of the tough were hired to just stand there and guard a fence that nobody would even dare to go near, but hey, it was easy money for them, and there were times like these to enjoy.

"Alright, let me think here. Well, I guess I'd want to marry a noblewoman so I could live the high live. I hear Lady Valentine's pretty smoken. I'd love to do that hot vassal from the capitol, what's her name? The one with the flowing green hair? And I just kill the Grand Baron Altagis. Don't know why he was given a title. He ain't even human." The guy answered to his buddy.

"Whoa, dude. A dragon race? Seriously, you'd take on one of those terrors?" The first guy commented.

The second Guard waved his hand at the idea, like it was nothing. "Please. Those Dragon race types ain't as hot as most people say. I bet it's all just hype to scare us. Since they don't have humanity, the creature's need something else to get us human's to give them a second glance, so they come up with this 'super' fighting style and try to convince everybody that they can be useful. I bet they half ass the whole training process and live up in the freaken mountains so no one will come by and learn their secret. That's my theory anyway."

"So you really think that whole 'best soldiers in Symphonia' thing is all a load of shit?"

"Duh. I bet I could take any dragon race, any day of the week. Why do you think they have all of those soldiers and so few vassals?" Huh?"

"CAUSE WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED STANDARDS!"

Both guards were jolted out of their conversation by that sudden yell. Who had just said that? They got up from their seats and began to look in every which way for whom that voice belonged to. If its one thing they hated, it was eavesdroppers and once they found the guy who interrupted their conversation, they'd let the guy know just how much they hated them. However after a few minutes of looking, they found no one, just some guards who were on duty, but they all must have been about 50 yards away from their special break time spot. There was no way that could have heard what they were saying.

The two guards were getting a little confused. Maybe they had heard wrong. Maybe the person who said that wasn't talking to them. Maybe…

It was then that those guards had begun to notice something strange. It was getting darker, like a cloud was in the way of the sun, but soon they realized that this shadow was slowly becoming darker and larger and it was gaining a more definitive form. It was in the shape of a-

KABLAMMMMMMMM!

The next thing anyone knew, an enormous fireball had fallen down on top of the fence, right smack dab on the guards break spot, blowing it to smithereens. The two guards were okay, more or less. They had been blown back by the impact by at least 15 feet. From the way they had landed they must have sustained some type of harsh injury, most likely some broken bones, but they would live. If they hadn't of gotten up from their spot, they would have been ash by now.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! BATTLE STATIONS!"

Screamed another one of the guards as another fireball rain downed upon them. Julia and Let flew through the air and unleashed a storm of attacks on the fence. Their plan was to blow the blasted barrier that separated the two states into nothing but indescribable heaps of scrap metal.

The two dragons gazed down at their enemy as they scrambled into position for an all out war. The beasts smirked arrogantly at those punks that seemed like the size of ants from where they were floating. They had the advantage of being high up. They could control whether or not this was going to be a close combat battle, and they liked that very much.

"Hee hee. You guys ready to roll?" Julia asked as she turned to the one sitting atop her back.

"Julia, eyes open. They're retaliating." Let warned.

The black dragon looked down, just as a blue beam of light shot up at her which she narrowly dodged. The source of the attack was a few men in uniform standing firmly on the ground looking up at the beast with fierce intensity, some had wands or staffs, others could simply shoot with their bare hands. The guards at this side of the fence truly were tough, and they weren't shy about showing off what they could do.

Several more beams of light shot out at the two dragons. They did everything that they could to avoid being hit but there were many more guards than was expected. While Julia was keeping her focus on a few goons in particular, an enemy's beam was headed strait for her blind side. There was no way to dodge it so she used her defensive measures, AKA, Belnika.

At the last second before the attack could connect with its target, the violet haired sorceress riding atop Julia's back put up a magic shield around them and protected them both from the oncoming collision.

It happened so fast even Belnika herself was stunned by what she had just pulled off.

"I-I did it!" She praised herself as Belnika stared down at her hands.

"Belnika, focus, poyo! We can't get cocky, poyo!" Cried her best friend who was sitting on Let's back protecting him with his magic just like Belnika was protecting Julia.

With Julia and Let working offence, and Ruby and Belnika on defense, they were able to create the distraction they needed for everyone else to get away and when they were all safe, They could just fly their way to meet up with them. That was the plan all along.

Meanwhile down on the ground, the enemy was scrambling for a way to stop them. One of the men ran to his superior officer who was just standing there, unprotected, looking up at the dragons with a cold and calculating expression, as if he was sizing up the situation. He didn't run for cover or even flinch as fireballs rained down all around him.

"Sir, They're blocking all of our attacks! At this rate, the entire fence separating New Elie and the capitol will be obliterated in minutes!" A subordinate dressed in guard uniform panicked to his commanding officer.

"Calm down," was his cool reply. He didn't seem worried in the slightest. In fact, his entire face showed no expression.

The guard looked at his superior with a face of pure disbelief. How could he say that? They were being freaken slaughtered out here! What could he possible be think-?

"EEEEAAAHHHHH!"

The guard screamed in pain as he felt the bone in his arm snap. His eyes went wide in shock. It was as if he felt a force with in his own arm come to life and squirm around inside of him. The sickening, squirming force just took control and twisted his arm back until it splintered his bone.

The superior officer paid no attention to the man's cries of pain. He didn't even look in his direction as the poor man wailed in his suffering.

"If you're not going to be calm, then you will be of no use to us." The high-ranking officer simply stated.

"Did you not hear of the attempted siege on the fence of the Makai border just a few days ago. The peons got away and the timing of this attack and that one are too close together. I believe that we are dealing with the same people, although it seems as though they have picked up some new friends."

"S-so…Sniff… You t-think that the others are waiting for…Sniff… the perfect time to strike w-when we're down?" The broken armed man asked through his whimpering.

"No if they planed to send in more troops to attack us, I think they would have done so by now. If I remember how I heard the battle went down exactly, then I doubt they would just watch and wait for their friends to just finish the job. People who work as teams are-"

The superior officer stopped his speech when he felt something strange going on beneath his feet. He snapped his focus down towards the ground and silently processed a plan. He knew what was going on.

Without saying a word he stormed off in the direction of the woods,looking for something in particular. He knew full well what had to be done to stop this siege.

* * *

"Wahhh!" Elie shrieked as she clenched her eyes shut and shielded her head with her hands. The tunnel shook a little and some dirt fell from the ceiling.

While Let, Julia, and the dynamic duo were off causing a distraction, everyone else was escaping through the tunnel that they had dug under the fence. Julia and Let did most of the work. Who knew dragons were such good diggers?

It was the perfect plan, while the four in the air were defeating the enemies above, allowing everyone to believe it was the team's original intention to go over the fence, Everybody was safely making their way under the fence. Now if only they made it there in one piece. The battle raging on above them could very well destroy the tunnel unintentionally.

"Elie, don't stop. Keep moving!" Musica ordered, who was right behind her as they made their way through the dark path ahead of them. The other gang members were right behind him. They wanted Elie to be one of the people to go fist so that she could leave first.

Haru agreed that they had to keep going but he didn't like the tone Musica used with Elie. Maybe he was just looking for reasons to dislike him.

The Outer world teenager was leading the way to freedom; he was the only one in front of Elie. After a moment of pawing around behind him for the girl in the dark, he found what he was looking for, her hand. The squeezed it tightly as he guided her forward. "It'll be all right Elie, Let's go."

The group blindly walked forward into the dark tunnel with their hands stretched out. They kept going until they hit a wall, the end of the tunnel. Above them was a very thin layer of ground that they could just push up on and they would rise to the service like a zombie digging itself out of the earth. They couldn't have just finished the tunnel because the enemy would notice the hole the ground and their plan would be ruined, but after all the plowing through the dirt that they had done this morning, just digging themselves up was a piece of cake. They could only hope that no one would be dumb enough to fall through the top of their tunnel like a pit fall trap.

Quietly and patiently the group waited for the right time to rise up. Haru still held on tight to Elie's hand to give her reassurance and to hopefully help her nerves calm down, but secretly he was just as worried as she was. He had to keep telling himself, 'his friends will be fine. They came up with that dragon and magic combo themselves.'

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH- THUD!"

Everyone was jolted out of their thoughts when they heard an earsplitting scream and then a loud crash. What was so terrifying for them was the fact that that scream sounded very similar to Julia. They wracked their brains for what to do. Maybe their friends needed their help. Maybe they should go up there and do something.

It was at that point they heard another noise. This one was different. It was a rumbling kind of sound that started out quietly and then began to grow louder and louder. The realization hit them. It was getting louder because it was getting closer!

Before any of them could prepare themselves for it, the sorce of the sound hit them all so hard it knocked them off their feet. A wave of water smashed into them, spashing them in every which way possible. None of them had time to hold their breaths or close their eyes and in the dark there was no way to tell which way was up or down, not that it mattered. They were all under ground. There was nowhere to come up for air!

Everyone's mind went into a panic, especially Haru and Elie. The force that hit them was so strong; amongst it all they had let go of each other. People kept bumping into each other or the walls of the tunnel getting battered in the process.

Things were looking bad, but when they were in such dire need to breath that it felt like their lungs would burst, something else burst in its place. The ceiling where they had planned on rising up from had broken through. No one knew how it was possible but for some reason, all of the water that they were drowning in was being sucked up through that hole and pulling everyone along for the ride.

Before anyone could comprehend anything else, they felt themselves hit the ground hard in a puddle of soggy grass. They all panted heavily, allowing their lungs to finally get the air that they were so desperately craving for.

As Haru breathed heavily, lying on his back, he stared out into the lavender skies, wracking his brain for the answer to what just happened. Carefully he got up into a sitting position and looked around. He noticed his comrades sprawled out all over the place, each of them soaking wet and a little battered from that ordeal. The fence was not too far behind them, and he knew they had all made it out alive, but he also knew they were far from safe.

"Aawwww…"

Haru twisted his head in the direction he had just heard a pained groan and he was completely shocked to find Julia, Let, Ruby, and Belnika also lying on the ground clearly in pain.

"You, guys. What happened?" Haru managed to get out.

"I simply took control of their blood and sent them crashing to the earth." Came a cold, icy voice. "It is truly quite an easy thing when you have powers like mine."

The teenage Outer worlder heard the slow footsteps of somebody walking up to them on the drenched grass. He got up off the ground and turned around. He found the owner of that cold voice. It was a pale man with an indifferent look on his face. He wore a very fancy cloak and a large hat on his head. He matched Haru's furious eyes with very calm one's of his own.

"I am Deepsnow, The head of border patrol and I am afraid you and your friends are in violation of trespassing."

Haru glared at Deepsnow with furious eyes. He reached for the large weapon strapped to his back and pulled it out to defend himself and his friends. Having seen what this man could do, Haru was very frightened but he refused to show it on the surface. He stood calm and ready for whatever this guy had to throw at him.

"No, I don't think you need to be doing that." Said Deepsnow as he held up his hand towards Haru. The next thing Haru knew, he was being pulled down to his knees, but it wasn't because anyone was physically pulling him down. His body was moving all on its own. Haru resisted in any way he could, but for some reason a force inside him had taken control and would not listen to anything his brain was commanding.

The teenage Outer worlder panicked as the head of patrol advanced forward with a still never changing face. When he was but one step in front of Haru, he gently placed his hand on the sword. The boy's eyes went wide as they stared up at Deepsnow's calculating orbs, and he felt his heartbeat quicken. If he didn't do something now, him and the rest of his friends would be history!

"It looks as though you're out of luck." Deepsnow whispered as he slowly lowered Haru's blade. The teen didn't want to give in but that uncontrollable force inside of his body had spread to his arms and they were going along with what Deepsnow wanted

"H-Haru…" He could hear his friends weakly call out from the background and his heart began to flutter with hope. Surely they could save him!

"You will all stay down. I shall deal with you after him." Deepsnow called out to the group of friends lying on the ground without even looking to them.

All of Haru's hope was dashed away when he heard the cries of pain that were coming from his team mates. He understood that pain. Whatever this despicable man had done to make him immobile, he had now just done to them. He was in control of their bodies, and it was all too clear they could not come to Haru's rescue.

Oh, God, Haru thought to himself. His brain was going haywire for any possible way out of this, for any possible way of escape but there just seemed to be no light of hope. This was it. He'd die before he truly got keep that promise to protect Elie. This was just like last time, unable to move while the bad guys had their way. There was so many things that Haru wanted to do with his life before he died, but for some reason the only one he could come up with at the moment was keeping that promise. He wanted to protect Elie. He wanted to protect everyone!

No one knew how, but at that exact moment the sword in Haru's hands began to glow. It was amazing! The light almost blinded everyone and before anyone knew how to react, it happened.

Deepsnow was sent flying back by a huge, fiery explosion. It was as if the sword had just blown up!

"Haru!" His friends yelled out in concern. When the smoke cleared, Haru was panting on all fours, broken free from Deepsnow's spell, but looking very exhausted from the blast. He was covered head to toe with soot. The sword he held looked very different from the one he just had a few seconds ago. It was slightly smaller, and orange in color with an odd hilt and black designs coating it. Just as quickly as it appeared however, it transphormed itself back to its previous form in a matter of seconds.

Haru's clothes were singed, but he didn't appear to be badly hurt. He wasn't even burned in the slightest! It was a miracle that he was still alive!

"I will admit… I was not expecting that…" Deepsnow panted as he slowly got up to his feet. He was badly burned all around his torso. His clothes were now nothing more than rags and he looked to be in much pain as he staggered back towards Haru.

"You have wasted everything from that one blast… You are an armature… You will never learn the correct way to handle such a magic weapon…" The man seethed, finally showing emotion, pain and anger.

Bloodlust was evident in his eyes. This time he didn't need to use his powers to take control of Haru's body. The boy was too exhausted to defend himself. He held his hand up as he prepared to strike.

"You can just di- YAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

The next thing anyone understood, Deepsnow was screaming in torturous pain as a shock wave surged through his body. A lighting bolt had struck him? It wasn't raining, that wasn't possible! Not to mention extremely unlikely!

"Your ability allows you to control everything with the ability to 'flow', is that correct?" Came a serious toned voice.

Steadily, Haru used all of his strength to pull his head up to see who that voice belonged to. He knew he had head it before, but it just couldn't be him.

He lifted hid head up and his eyes widened at the sight before him. It truly was him! Walking towards them, his head held high, dragging along an unconscious guard, was the blue haired vassal known as Seig Hart.

"Well lightning doesn't flow." Sieg said confidently at the now unconscious Deepsnow.

"Sieg!" Elie yelled cheerfully at her guardian. She was so relieved and happy to see him. She staggered to her feet now that Deepsnow's spell was gone, and ran to the man who had taken care of her for so many years.

Sieg caught her in a hug. "Whoa, Easy there my grace. Tell me, are you hurt?"

She shook her head no, refusing to take her eyes off of him. She was so happy to see him. Soon everyone else was shakily getting off the ground to greet the man who had saved them all just now.

"Please excuse my tardiness. I would have been here sooner, but I was busy taking out some of the New Elie border patrol. You know the guys."

"Oh, my God, Sieg, How did you get here?" Let asked astonished. He would have thought with the injuries Seig had received it would be months before the man could move again.

"That my friends, is a long story."

* * *

**The return of Sieg Hart! Seriously, how many of you guys missed him, and how many of you guys are surprised to see him again?**

**Man, I know this has been the longest story arc so far. The others were all just three chapters each. That wasn't planned; it just sorta worked out that way. This has also been the hardest to write. You know I'm not so good with fight scenes and this one was chalk full of them.**

**Not to mention how vaguely planned out this chapter was. All I knew was that I wanted them to cross the border after a big fight where Sieg jumps in and saves the day. Then I had to find a way to stretch that out to about 5000 words. Things like Deepsnow poping up and the Ten Powers being activated were all last minute decisions.**

**Curious how Sieg got here? How about what the heck has been going on in Outer world since Haru and Let left? All that and more next Friday when the next arc: 'Meanwhile in Outer World' begins.**

**Thank you for the reviews, may I please have more?**


	18. Meanwhile In Outer World  Part 1

**Meanwhile In Outer World Part 1**

**(Insert something witty here that explains that I don't own Rave Master.)

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(A few days before last chapter in Outer world)

"Gasp… Gasp… Gasp…Gasp…"

"Sieg, you've gotta stop doing this to yourself. Healing will only take longer." Cattleya berated the sorcerer sitting up in his hospital bed as she stood by with a scowl that clearly showed she was unhappy with his actions. Once again he had disobeyed his physical therapist and overdid his exercises. The nurses had put him back in his room and told him he wasn't allowed to do anymore for today.

"I am healing faster than you may think." Sieg replied, his breathing back under control.

"Yeah, I've noticed." Cattleya said as she stared at the book on Sieg's dresser by his bed with a raised eyebrow. It was an incredibly old looking book with a leather binding and archaic symbols on the cover. "I can't believe you can use magic to make a person heal quicker."

On the afternoon that Haru and Let had left for Inner world, Cattleya had gotten a call from her younger brother's high school asking why he hadn't come to class that day. At first Cattleya was perplexed by the call, 'why hadn't Haru gone to school? It was very unlike him to just skip.' that is until she noticed Haru's note on the kitchen counter. It was then that she became really confused. She called up everyone she knew who might have an answer for her as to her brother's whereabouts until she landed on Sieg Hart on that list of people. He had promised to explain everything to her in exchange for her finding that book in the rubble that was once his house.

Sieg didn't really want anyone else to know about his secret but he knew very well that if he didn't give her an answer than she wouldn't stop pestering him until she got it out of him. She was very much like her brother in that regard.

Ever since then, she had been coming to visit Sieg every day that she wasn't busy with work or with her classes down at the local university. It was rather nice having a visitor around every now and again. It kept his mind off of more dismal subjects.

"Well healing magic isn't my specialty, but if I can speed up the process even by a little than it will be that much quicker that I can get out of here. Milady needs me." Replied Sieg with a sad smile. He missed the Grand Duchess very much, and even though he didn't say it out loud, he was worried out of his mind for the girl that he loved like family.

"Thank you for finding this for me and for the company you have provided me with these past two weeks." Sieg said as he looked at her kindly.

"Uh, no problem." She shrugged, "but you know this whole story is so unbelievable. I mean my little brother is off on a super adventure to rescue a duchess in a magical far off land? It would be an understatement to say that the whole thing sounds like a fairy tale." The woman jested. She was right, and if it weren't for Sieg being able to prove it with his magic, she would have believed him to be crazy.

"Just please… I know that you really want to get better quickly to help Elie, but do what you physical therapist tells you to do. You don't want to get in trouble do y-"

"Pardon me but is this the room of a Mr. Sieg Hart?"

The man that had just cut Cattleya's sentence short stood in the doorway to Sieg's hospital room. He had barged in without knocking, startling Sieg and Cattleya slightly. This man was of average height. He wore a clean suit with a plain navy blue tie. He had a short, clean-cut hairstyle with what little of it there was spiked up. He had dull blue eyes that matched his cold expression almost perfectly, and even though he could tell right away that he had startled the two, he felt no remorse for doing so.

"I am Sieg hart, who might you be?" Sieg asked looking at the man square in the eye. Usually Sieg's serious stare intimidated people, but this time it had no affect on the stranger. The man just gave Sieg and equally serious stare. Cattleya however was uneasy enough with both men for everyone in the room.

"My name is detective Dick Cambridge, I was hoping I could ask you a few questions." Replied the man as he pulled out a police badge and flashed it to the two of them.

"Detective, um, sir, I don't think now is a good time. Sieg needs his rest, maybe you should stop by another time?" Cattleya asked the man nervously.

It wasn't as though the young woman was afraid of cops, or anything, she never once had any trouble with them herself, but she wasn't some naïve girl who thought all officers were super heroes who were perfect. She had heard her fair share of crooked cops stories. Whenever she met one she always wondered whether or not they were trustworthy.

She normally didn't like to judge a person before she had the opportunity to get to know them but this guy in particular seemed pretty unfriendly. She didn't want anyone here, whether it be herself, or the legal guardian of her little brother's best friend to get involved in the law, especially right now.

"And who are you?" Detective Cambridge asked.

"Um, My name is Cattleya Glory, I'm sort of a friend of Sieg's. I was just popping in for a visit, but I was just about to leave." She answered nervously.

"Did you say Glory? As in Cattleya Glory who goes to Blairs Town University? Daughter of Sakura and Gale Glory, older sister to Haru Glory, and Niece to Genma Rosebud?" The detective asked as if he was reading off a resume.

That seemed exceedingly creepy to Cattleya. She wasn't the conspiracy theorist type, but the idea that the police had all of this information about her on a file when she never had any run in with the law. She never remembered putting information about herself online. Her uncle had always warned her about giving out personal information out on the Internet and she was over cautious about that. Was she being investigated?

"I went to your dorm earlier today, but your room mate told me you were out. I had plans on visiting your uncle's place latter but now that you are here I can see that it's not necessary. May I please have a word with you out in the hall?" Detective Cambridge explained.

For a moment Cattleya looked at Sieg pleadingly, as if he could do something to get her out of having to do that. She had the sinking feeling that this man wasn't here for a friendly visit and the last thing she wanted to do was be left alone with him. What if she accidently said something that could get both Sieg and her into trouble?

Sieg simply looked back at her casually and restated what the detective had just asked as if she was hard of hearing. "I believe he asked to have a word with you in privet." He gestured his hand towards the door politely, misreading why the young woman was so nervous.

"All right" Cattleya replied, not taking her eyes off of the unhelpful vassal, shooting him a glare as she exited his hospital room begrudgingly. She had a very bad feeling about this in the pit of her stomach.

As they stepped out into the hall, the detective closed the door behind him, cutting off Cattleya's view of Sieg. She timidly turned toward the officer and asked, "Can you please tell me what this is all about?"

"Miss Glory, how well do you know Sieg Hart?" He asked strait forwardly.

"Actually we just became friends recently. You see his foster child and my younger brother go to school together. Whenever I get together with Sieg like this, we mostly just talk about them." She replied, hoping that was a good answer.

"Did you become friends before or after his accident?" He continued with his interview.

"Just after. I heard about what happened and I thought he could use some support, even if he was just someone I only knew through my brother's friend."

"Then you must see this Elie Valentine around here often, also visiting Sieg. That's the name of his foster child right?"

She reluctantly answered the man. "Y-yes, that's her name. She loves Sieg like a father."

"Well it sure was lucky for her that she wasn't in that house when it collapsed, hm?"

"Um…" It wasn't an odd thing to say. She had said that same thing to Sieg as well, but for some reason Cattleya got the feeling that this man wasn't sincerely thinking about Elie's well being.

"That is I assume, miss Valentine wasn't in that wreckage. They never found her in there and their isn't any record of her coming to the hospital, So one can only assume she wasn't there at the time." The detective concluded.

Cattleya stared at him oddly. Where was he going with this?

"So?" He asked.

"S-so what?"

"So will you please answer the question? How often do you see Elie here visiting her guardian?"

There was no way Cattleya was able to give him a satisfying answer. As she wracked her brain for what to say, she began to sweat, and he just continued on with his grilling.

"Where is Elie staying now that her house is gone and her guardian is hospitalized?"

"W-well she…" Cattleya was always a terrible liar. She knew if she tried to cover for Elie then this man would just look into it and then she'd get into deep trouble for lying to a cop.

"I- I don't kno-"

"You don't know? But you just told me that all you ever talk about with Mr. Hart is Elie and your brother. Surely that must have come up."

Darn! Cattleya cursed to herself in her head. She knew she should have been more careful about what she said to this man.

"What of your brother? Has he also shown up to visit him?"

"W-well, he's been-"

"You see I know from his records that the boy hasn't been to school in a while. That is expected from miss Valentine, her house was destroyed she may need some time to recover, but what is his excuse, or the excuse of another friend of their's, Let Durden? 18 years old, 5 foot 10, son of-"

"Sir, do you have a point?" Cattleya snapped at the man, pushing back out of the corner that he had pushed her into. She had enough of the hot seat. If she had to sit in the damn thing she should at least know why.

"These three kids, Elie Valentine, Haru Glory, and Let Durden, have been missing for almost two weeks. I'm on an investigation to find out where they are." He answered, clearly getting tired of beating around the bush.

"You know the fact that you're the family of one of these kids and don't seem the least bit worried tells me something."

Cattleya had a look on her face that clearly resembled a deer in the headlights. Her face went pale and her throat was dry all of a sudden. When it was clear that she wasn't going to say anything, Detective Cambridge went right on talking.

"The police were notified by their disappearance by Mr. Jacob Durden. He is very worried about his son. Now I have to ask you miss Glory, do you have any idea about the whereabouts of these three children?"

Numbly Cattleya shook her head no. Even in her shocked state of mind she remembered that this was a secret that must be kept under any circumstances.

"Miss Glory… You do realize the consequences of withholding information like that from me, right." He glared at her strait in the eye, but he did not raise his voice even the slightest. He wanted so badly to break her. He knew she knew something, but he needed to find a way to make her confess before he could take action.

Still the young woman slowly nodded to the man, backing up her claim that she knew nothing of the sort.

"Very well." The detective scoffed as he turned to leave. "I'll be back to check up on Mr. Hart another time. Who knows maybe he'll know something. Until then, tell him to get well soon for me won't you?"

With that, Detective Cambridge walked away, not bothering to look back at the woman who he had shaken up so badly.

Slowly Cattleya reentered Sieg's room and shut the door behind her. She looked down at her feet; her hair covered her eyes to hide away any emotion that may have been apparent on her face. As she leaned against the door sullenly, Sieg was getting more and more perplexed at her quiet, unmoving nature.

"Sieg…" She expressed, finally looking up at him with scared eyes. "We may have a problem…"

* * *

Sieg Hart leaned forward, sitting Indian style on his hospital bed. His face rested on his folded hands and the tips of his elbows rested on his knees. His face was set in complete concentration as he faced forward, listening to what Cattleya was finishing telling him. He didn't dare interrupt her, this was too important, and he didn't know what to say anyway.

Cattleya just fidgeted on her feet, shifting her weight back and forth on each foot. She did not dare to look at the man after she was done speaking, but after a few moments of silence, the suspense was killing her, she had to know what he was thinking about all of this.

"S-so… What's our next step?" The young woman asked him.

This was a very delicate situation, and it was one that Sieg was considering very carefully. It was decided a long time ago that Outer world would forever remain in the dark about the existence of Inner world.

Damn! Why wasn't he more carful? Just because Inner world didn't keep such detailed documents about its inhabitants, like a social security number, or a birth certificate, didn't mean that he could get so lazy in Outer world. He should have tried harder to cover everything that they would need to pass off as one of them.

It didn't matter that Mr. Durden had called the police to look into this. Any little thing would have set this off. This just gave them a reason to look into Elie and Sieg's situation. Now they would see something was off about them, and the entire existence of Inner world could be put out into the open and right now, that was the last thing they needed.

The blue haired man let out a sigh. "I am sorry to bring you into this, miss Glory. The only thing I can think of is that we should both just lay low for a while. Don't do anything to bring attention to ourselves, and in the mean time, maybe we shouldn't see each other. No more coming to visit me, please."

The woman just nodded her head. Honestly, she couldn't come up with any better ideas. She was willing to try this if it meant that it could avoid trouble for everyone.

"Okay." She whispered to him numbly. All of a sudden this whole day seemed exhausting.

"I think maybe I'll just go spend the rest of the day at my uncle's house. I'm beat." Cattleya admitted. Her appearance relaxed just a little. "Bye Sieg, I don't know when I'll see you next, but until then, get well."

And with that She waved her friend goodbye as she walked out the door and shut it behind her. Sieg smiled at the woman as she left, but the second she was gone, the grin slipped off of his face. He was a little shaken up with this whole situation as well.

He was about to reach for his spell book to work on healing again, just as he always did in his free time, then he remembered his promise to Cattleya that they would both lay low for a while. Instead he reached for the television remote. He was never a huge fan of television, give him a book any day, but the only book on him at the moment was his spell book and he had already ruled that out. It wouldn't hurt to just see if anything interesting was on.

He pointed the remote at the television screen and pressed the 'on' button, a few seconds later the screen came to life with moving and speaking pictures. Unsatisfied with the current channel, he switched it to the one above it. Unsatisfied with that one as well, he changed it again. This went on for the next few channels. He would press the channel up button, wait a few seconds to see what was on, and then press it again.

"Cosmo! Wanda! I wish-"

Click!

"Aw, Kelso, that's a burn-"

Click!

"Brought to you by the letter 'B'!-"

Click!

"Snakes! On this Mother F-"

Click!

"AHHHHHH! BANG! BANG! BANG!"

Sieg froze at the sound of the last channel he landed on. His eyes went wide and his face paled. He ended up on a 'shoot em up' film. He had never sat down to watch one of these movies before and he had never heard a gunshot before, but the sound of a gun going off, was all too familiar, and he knew exactly where he had heard that sound before. He knew it all too well.

He started to hyperventilate. How had he never seen this before! It was all too obvious! All of the pieces too this six year old puzzle was coming together! He had to tell someone.

Quickly, he grabbed a cell phone next to his spell book on his the nightstand beside his bed. He fumbled around with the device for a moment. He only used it for emergencies and at the moment he was much too flustered to think about which buttons to press exactly to go through his contact list. Once he had finally figured out how to call up Cattleya he waited impatiently for the girl to answer. Every ring was like an eternity and he was growing very frustrated with each passing second that she didn't answer.

After about the fifth ring, the young woman picked up. "Hello?"

"Cattleya, I need you to come back to see me immediately! There is something I must tell you!" Sieg expressed in a rushed voice. He chose not to beat around the bush. Anything else that he needed to say could be said in person.

"But I just left like, five minutes ago. What's so important that you couldn't have just told me then? And didn't we just agree that I shouldn't come see you anymo-"

"I know what I said! Do what I'm saying now and turn around!" Sieg snapped. This couldn't wait, and he didn't have time to answer her questions.

"All right, all right, give me five minutes I'll be right there." She answered over the phone. Before she could say anything else, Sieg hung up the phone with a snap shut.

A bead of sweat rolled off of Sieg Hart's face, landing on his phone with a tiny splash. Everything that he had planned before, screw it! Everything was different, and even though things were much more urgent and terrifying, the clear path was now much more obvious.

Fire burned in his eyes and his blood rushed through his veins like a river of set determination. He knew what he had to do now

* * *

Cattleya turned her car around and drove all the way back to the hospital, she walked two flights of stairs and made her way back towards Sieg's room once again. She had a confused and annoyed look plastered across her face. It was very vexing that Sieg was throwing the plan they had just made, not even a half hour ago, out the window and coming up with a new one.

The man had sounded very urgent over the phone but what could have possibly changed the short time that she was gone? All of these thoughts blew through her mind as she spotted the door to Sieg's room at the end of the hallway. She was about to find out.

When she twisted the doorknob and pushed her way through, she had expected to find the man lying in his bed, where she had left him, but she was surprised to find him frantically getting himself dressed. Like a mad man in a hurry, he swiftly finished buttoning up the last of his buttons and threw on his dark jacket. Half of his wrinkled shirt was tucked into his pants, and he quickly bent down to tie his shoes.

Cattleya watched him in confusion. "Um… Sieg?..."

Sieg glanced at her for a brief moment before going back to what he was doing. "Good, you're here. Quickly, grab my things off the nightstand. Quickly!" He ordered in his rush.

The young woman did as she was told, but kept glancing back at the man every few seconds with wide, confused eyes, wondering and hoping he wasn't planning what she assumed he was.

The second she was able to gather everything of Sieg's off of the nightstand, he grabbed her by her arm and before she knew anything else, he was dragging her out the door.

"Where are you going? You have to stay in your room." Cattleya asked as he led her off down the hall in a swift pace. She did everything she could to keep up with him.

"I'll tell you everything on the way, I just need you to drive." He replied to her quickly.

Just as they were about to reach the elevator, the orderly who worked on Sieg's hospital floor spotted them. He recognized who Sieg was and what he was doing. Before the elevators down button could be pushed, said orderly jumped in the way.

"Whoa there, big guy. Didn't I tell you that you should stay in your room for the rest of the day? You gotta go back and get some rest." The orderly spoke, sounding a little intimidated by Sieg's appearance. He didn't want any trouble from the man, but he wouldn't just let him go.

All Sieg had to do was shove the man out of the way with one hand, and the weakling just stumbled back a few steps, allowing the vassal to press his desired button.

While Sieg was impatiently waiting for the elevator doors to open, the orderly suppressed his anger at being pushed. He knew he couldn't let a patient leave without being discharged, and if Sieg was planning to get hostel, than drastic measures must be taken.

The orderly took out a needle from his pocket. "Okay, Mr. Hart, I'm just going to give you a little something to get you to calm down and go to sleep."

"Why don't you sleep, instead?" Sieg asked, not bothering to look at the weak little man.

Before the hospital worker had time to prepare the needle, Sieg twisted his hands around, so fast, it was almost a blur. He made multiple symbols with his finders before finally pointing at the orderly, giving him a little zap of magic.

Within a few seconds, the hospital worker fell backwards, eyes, rolling back into his head, and hit the ground, clearly unconscious.

Cattleya stared the snoring orderly with her mouth hanging wide open in pure amazement at Sieg's performance of magic. She was so stunned she didn't even notice the elevator doors finally open. She almost let out a yelp of surprise when Sieg, roughly pulled her in.

They were able to make it all the way to the hospital parking lot and into Cattleya's car after that, with no more interruptions. They didn't dare make any eye contact with anybody they passed by in fear of being stopped again. They just continued their brisk pace all the way there.

Sieg roughly yanked open the car door and slammed it behind him as Cattleya threw his things in the back seat. They buckled up, Sieg in the passenger seat, and Cattleya as the driver.

"Drive!" Sieg barked.

Without arguing, the young woman, floored it out of the parking lot. Wherever it was that Sieg needed to be, it was clear, he wanted to get there fast.

"Where are we going?" Cattleya asked, finally managing to get a word in since she had got to the hospital.

"Springfield." Sieg simply answered in his rushed voice.

"Springfield?" She reiterated in her surprise. "That's hours from here!"

"Just get moving, I must get to Inner world, right away."

SCREECH!

Cattleya slammed her foot on the breaks, causing the vehicle to come to a halt that almost sent them both flying forward. A line of cars began to pile up behind her in a line and the angry drivers honked their obnoxious horns, signaling they wanted her to stop holding them up from going where they needed to be

That was it! She'd had it! This entire day was just too much trouble. Trouble with the law, trouble with the hospital, she wouldn't just go along with this anymore. Not until she knew the whole story. Then maybe if he had a good enough of an excuse, she'd drive him to the far off town.

"Miss Glory, we have to go, now!" Sieg ordered in his angry voice, but this time Cattleya refused to be intimidated.

"If I take you there, you have to swear on your Duchess's life, you'll tell me everything, are we clear?"

"Fine! I give you my word, just get moving!"

Cattleya took her foot off of the breaks and slowly placed it back on the gas petal. Sieg calmed himself as he prepared to explain his findings.

"The day that the Grand Duke and Duchess of new Elie was killed six years ago, a loud thundering blast that could be heard almost all over the castle was heard. When I went to go find out what that sound was, I found them both on the ground. There were tiny holes that pierced their flesh so deeply, that they almost went through to the other side. There was nothing anyone could do to help them. I received orders from my senior vassals to go find the young duchess, Elie and make sure she was safe; she was the only pure heir to the state's throne. That was the night; I left my home with her grace. That was the night she assumed her title."

Cattleya listened to his story very intently as she drove, sometimes looking over at the man next to her for a few brief seconds, before looking back to the road.

"So then what happened?" She asked, waiting for him to get to the part of the story that was relevant to the urgent of the situation. But it wasn't what happened next that was the most important part.

"Cattleya… No one witnessed their murders and no one knows how it was done exactly. Those deafening blasts… There isn't any magic in Inner world that can make such a noise. The closest thing to it is lightning magic. Believe me, I know, we've all done the research."

Cattleya thought over his words carefully. She didn't want to say what she was thinking out loud. It was just too obvious and she didn't want to make a fool of herself by stating what didn't need to be said, but to be honest, after a few moments of silence between the two of them, she felt she had to say something and that was the only thing that seemed to fit with the conversation.

"Well… From the sound of their fatal wounds… It seems to me that they were-"

"Yes, they were shot with a gun." Sieg interjected. "Anyone from Outer world would have come to that conclusion. But you see, In Inner world, guns don't exist. They were never necessary because we could just use magic to defend ourselves, and the king didn't think it was wise to introduce a weapon like that into our society. So when we were bringing back Outer world items for use in our world, he demanded that no one was to bring back a gun. That was why we all just assumed that it was a type of magic that had done that to his and her nobleship."

So that was what Sieg had discovered? A gun killed them? How would that be of much use to anybody now?

As if reading the woman's mind, Sieg gave the answer to the question she was thinking.

"It means that whoever killed them has access to the portals that connect the two worlds. The king is always putting guards on duty to protect the portals into Outer world and only those with special clearance is allowed to get close to them.

I thought that when those two monsters came and tried to take the poor Grand Duchess away, they had their own portal, but the fact that the killer was able to get into New Elie castle without being discovered by any vassal over six years ago tells me something."

Cattleya's eyes widened when she finally managed to put the final pieces of the mystery together. "It means…"

"It means that whoever killed the Grand Duke and Duchess all those years ago, is somebody on our side, deceiving us, and it must be someone pretty high up in the ranks as well."

* * *

**Dun! Dun! Duuun! The plot thickens!**

**Hey can anyone guess what shows or movies Sieg came across while flipping through channels? The one who guesses them all gets an imaginary cookie!**

**I'd like to give a big thank you to everybody who has reviewed, or plans to review!**

**See you next Friday!**


	19. Meanwhile In Outer World  End Part

**You want to know who owns Rave Master? I'll give you a hint. It's not me.**

**Meanwhile, in Outer World End Part.

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It was getting pretty late in the afternoon and detective Cambridge was just getting his things together as he prepared to go home for the day. That was the great thing about working for the government, nine to five, work hours. Today however, he wished the day were a little longer. He was working on a really exciting case, it was much more interesting than his other previous easy ones.

As he stood up from his desk, shuffling his papers, a friend of his walked into his office. "Hey man, you off yet? Let's go grab a beer!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I should have clocked out thirty minutes ago. Thanks for reminding me, Lance. I'll be right there."

"Lance had been a member of the force for over 11 years. He was a man in his mid-thirties, but his gray, somewhat spiky hair and sideburns made him appear older. He had both eyebrows pierced once on each side, and he always had some fuzz on his chin for deciding not to shave as often as he could. Wherever he went he always wore such a mischievous smile. Other cops found him to be creepy, but to Cambridge, he was an old drinking buddy.

"Loosing track of time again, huh? I know that sign. Interesting case?" Lance asked with a raised eyebrow.

"This one really is a doozy, man. I mean seriously. A guy asked me to look for his missing son, but somehow this ended up being a case of people existing without evidence." Cambridge replied excitedly. He truly lived for crazy cases like these.

As the detective walked out of the office, Lance was beginning to get more and more intrigued by the sound of that. As they strolled together towards the building's front door, Lance asked, "existing without evidence? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well I looked into this kid's life and I discovered he wasn't the only missing brat in town. Haru Glory, and Elie Valentine, two kids also from his school, and who are known to hang out with him, have also gone missing at the same time."

Lance's ears perked up at those names. They rang in his ears like an alarm. He had heard those names before, but there was no way he'd let anyone know how, especially Cambridge. He had to know more about this. He urged his friend to press on with his story.

"Alright, so how does that pertain with the whole, 'no prove of existence' thing?" Lance asked. Now he it had become his priority to know how.

"Well, of course I looked into these kids too, but the girl, Elie, she's missing huge chunks of her past. She doesn't have a social security number; she doesn't have a birth certificate, and anything that can be found out about her, sounds completely made up. I tried searching more about her, but everything eventually led to a dead end. And her legal guardian's the same way. It's like they just appeared out of thin air." Cambridge explained, too wrapped up in his own story to notice Lance's narrowing eyes as he spoke.

"So… What do you think?" Lance asked.

"Well I tried questioning one of the missing kid's sister this afternoon, but she gave me nothing, but it's so obvious that she knows more than she's telling."

Lance's teeth began to grind together as he heard this unfortunate news.

They had just got to the front door of their office building. The detective was about to open it so they could leave, when Lance suddenly slammed it shut. Cambridge was stunned by both his friend's actions and his intense glare.

"What are you-"?

"Was the older sister's name Cattleya? Was it?" Lance demanded in a harsh tone.

Cambridge was shocked at his friend. He never acted this way before in all of the years that he had known him. Because of the shock, he was put off guard and did the dumbest thing he could ever do. He answered him correctly.

"Y-yeah…"

"And you are positive she knows something?" Lance seethed.

"Uh… Yeah… It was written all over her fa-"

BANG!

Before the unsuspecting detective could finish that sentence, Lance had whipped out a gun and shot the man right in the head, killing him almost instantly. It was so fast; there was nothing Cambridge could have done to protect himself. His own friend had murdered him without hesitation in cold blood. The poor man died with such a shocked look all over his bloodied face.

Without saying anything else, Lance just turned around and exited the building; he walked down the street with a set glare of determination on his face. He knew exactly what it was that he had to do now.

Those two kids were only allowed to be left alive if they never find out about their heritage. He didn't know for certain if this woman knew everything like how detective Cambridge believed she did, but it was not something Lance was willing to risk. He would do something that he should have done a long time ago, but was just too lazy to do. It was the reason he had stayed behind in this dump of a town to begin with, to make sure they would never go to that place. Now his duties were all laid out for him so nicely

He was lucky that no one had seen or heard him kill Cambridge, but then again, it was after five and no body in that part of the precinct worked later than that.

* * *

It took two and a half hours longer than originally planned to get to the Springfield train station. Sieg and Cattleya had to sit through multiple traffic jams during rush hour and when it became dark they got a little lost thanks to Cattleya's inability to navigate at night, however they did finally manage to get there, with only 20 minutes until the station closed for the night.

Cattleya was a mess after the long exhausting trip. She stretched as she exited her car. She truly wasn't built for road trips, or at least not ones where she would be driving the whole way. Her but was sore from sitting the car for so long and her eyes were tired from staring at nothing but road for the past several hours.

Seig did not complain once from the ride, however he used the excuse 'I have to focus on using my magic to heal myself up completely before we get there'. Perhaps that was why he didn't appear to be so tired. Because he was really pouring on the healing magic the entire trip there, his wounds inflicted two weeks ago, were just about gone. You would never know that less than a month ago, he was almost on death's door.

"So… Where is this portal supposed to be?" Cattleya asked in an exhausted voice.

"It's this way." Sieg replied as he headed off in the gateway's direction.

"Yawn~ Alright. Lets get going before this place closes." She said as she followed him shuffling her feet.

Unbeknownst to either of them, they were being watched.

They walked down the station's almost empty hallways to the men's bathroom that would show them the way to Inner world. The last train of the night was about to leave so it was practically a ghost town, besides a few unlucky and unhappy travelers who had missed their trains, Some just getting off the last one, and a homeless man or two, who was just using the station for its heating. Cattleya was nice enough to spare the poor men some change, even though she practically felt dead after that long car ride.

It wouldn't be long until she considered that the least of her worries.

After a few minutes of shuffling around, they were finally able to locate the restroom they needed. Just before Seig opened the lavatory door he turned back to the girl who had helped him so much.

"Are you certain you don't want to come?"

She shook her head no at his question. She had made up her mind that she didn't want to go to Inner world. She was needed too much here. Her uncle would be lonely and she had a very important exam coming up in her economics class. Also she didn't think she would be of much help when it came to all of this. At least not as much help as she was she was here. Most of all, she just thought it sounded dangerous. Haru was the dangerous type. Not her.

"Very well then. At least allow me to escort you back to your car. It is the least I can do to repay you for helping me." Seig offered.

"Naw. I'll be fine. I think I'll just find a cheap hotel to stay at for the night. I'm bushed." She replied with a weak smile.

"Miss Glory I would like to thank you for all that you have done for me these past few weeks. If this should be the last time that we see each other I want you to know that it has been a pleasure knowing you." The man said as he bowed to her, in a show of respect.

Cattleya just waved it off and smiled. "Good luck, and if you run into my brother, tell him I'm pissed at him for leaving with just a note."

Sieg smiled back, and with that, they both went their separate ways. As Seig entered the restroom, he went right up the exact spot he needed to activate the portal. Even after all these years that he hadn't seen it, he knew exactly what he was looking for on first sight.

As he was about to prick his finger to sacrifice a small amount of blood for the portal's opening, a feeling struck him. Magic was near by; he could sense it and it was filled with bloodlust. He ran from the room with a flash, heading for Cattleya's car. He had to make sure she was safe. He could go home anytime, but at that moment, there was a large possibility his friend was in danger.

* * *

"Yea I think I'll just go find a hotel or motel room for the night… Okay then… See you tomorrow, Uncle Genma… Okay bye."

Cattleya hung up the phone after explaining to her uncle why she wasn't coming home tonight. She was once again sitting in her car, but this time she was hoping it wouldn't be for too long.

Just as she was about to reach for her keys, a sudden knocking at he window startled her. She whipped her head around to find a police officer standing there, waiting to talk to her.

She didn't know what this could possibly be about, but she rolled down her window to find out. "Is something wrong officer?" She asked.

"I'm gonna need you to step out of the car, princess." The officer replied with a scowl.

Cattleya didn't like the look on his face, but she didn't like the idea of getting into trouble for not obliging even more, so she stepped out of her car. As she shut the door behind her, making sure she didn't slam it too hard, she asked the cop again.

"Officer is there something wro- GASP!"

Cattleya's eyes went wide with unspoken terror and her heart skipped a beat when she suddenly felt the cold steel of a sword pressed up so close to her neck, that it almost cut into her flesh.

"Yeah, Actually there is, but I'm about to correct it."

Cattleya was scared stiff. The only sign of movement was her trembling figure and quick breath. "I-I-I don't understand…" She managed to speak out in her frightened state by some form of miracle.

"Tell me now, princess… Where. Is. The prince?" The officer seethed. He did not make his move yet. He needed to hear this. He kept his glaring eyes on his soon to be victim and awaited her answer.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about…" She stuttered. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. She was beyond terrified and she just didn't know what to do.

"Now you listen to me." The cop said, loosing his patience with the young woman, "The kingdom has gone all this time without a blood heir. There's no reason to get their hopes up now. We're not going to let you or your brother take your place on the throne. The sooner you tell me where he is, the sooner I can just nip this in the bud."

Cattleya was too stunned to give him a proper answer. She didn't know what to say to that anyway. "I-I swear on my parents graves, I have no idea what you are talking about." She whimpered.

The officer's expression changed from annoyed, to furious, and then to a malicious smirk of lust in less than a few seconds. He snickered evilly.

"Fine… Ha ha, that's just fine…"

Cattleya let out an almost silent gasp of fear at the sight before her. She tried to shrink back but her car was right behind her and she was already leaning back on it as it was.

It was as if four deranged, savage, wolf heads materialized from the sword pressed up against her neck like a couple of hauntingly evil ghosts. They each stared at her with hungry, rabid eyes as they barred their razor sharp fangs.

"I take care of you first, and then the prince will be next."

"KYAAAAAAAAA!"

Cattleya let out an ear splitting scream that could be heard from miles around. She shut her eyes tight and prepared herself for the massive amount of pain that she was sure she'd feel, but instead she felt a sudden rush of wind whip in front of her, and the pain never came. After a few seconds of waiting, she cracked open her eyes to see what was the hold up. She gasped when she saw Seig standing between her and the attempted killer.

"S-Seig Hart?" She stuttered, both confused and grateful for whatever reason he was there.

"Heh, and here I thought this was going to be an easy kill." The officer scoffed with an amused smirk on his face.

Seig tried to get him with his famous stare downs. "Tell me who you are this instant." He commanded.

"I am Lance Beastman. The greatest assassin Raregroove has ever known!" He stated proudly. "And you, sir, are in my way."

Lance swung his sword at the man but instead of hitting him with his blade, more vicious animal heads appeared to attack. Seig wasted no time. Just as quickly as they were summoned, Seig waved his arm at them with a glowing intensity. He swatted the animals away with ease, and the second his hand went upside the beast's heads, they dematerialized into nothing but smoke. Cattleya could only stare wide eyed and stunned at the scene in front of her.

"Miss Glory, run!" The vassal commanded keeping his eyes focused on the enemy. His voice snapped the young woman out of her fear-induced daze. He didn't have to ask her twice. Within a few seconds, she was off like a rocket in the other direction, leaving the two magic-wielding men, to have it out in a violent clash.

"You're Raregroovian?" Seig asked wanting to confirm.

"Oh that's right. I'll bet you Symphonians forgot we even existed, just like the rest of the world! Then again whose fault is it that our once magnificent nation is nothing more than a few measly villages stretched over little archers, huh?" Lance replied bitterly as he recalled his nation's history. "But were making a comeback don't you know?"

"Sieg's eyes widened slightly at that last thing his enemy said. It confirmed everyone's suspicion. Raregroove was behind this whole thing. They want to take New Elie back! But that didn't clear up everything.

"I don't suppose you, as a vassal for the king, know where the prince would be?" Lance asked, his bloodlust growing more impatient and his heart set on whom he wanted dead.

Seig was not a vassal for the king, but for Grand Duchess Valentine, but if he just went along with what Lance was saying than maybe he could get more information out of him.

"What do you want with him?" Seig glared.

"Ha ha, I was sent here on a mission from the king of Raregroove years ago to make sure the Symphonian Prince, and any blood relatives of his, never came back to Inner world to claim the throne. Now that he's dead, the Glory legacy will end, and a new king of a new dynasty will begin, leaving the country weak from its people doubt over their new leaders."

Seig paled significantly over those words. "The prince is already… Dead?"

"Yeah. The government around here is pretty good at tracking murders, so I had to make it look like an accident. All I had to do was cut the break cable in his car, and Good-bye Prince Gale. It was easy, but pretty boring. I haven't actually done any cutting people up in a while. It's made me kinda itchy." Lance replied with a sadistic smile as he held up his blade.

Seig was completely enraged with this man. As a proud Symphonian man, he could not allow this man to take in another breath for what he had done to his nation's prince, or to his nation in general.

The vassal put up a strong fighting stance, preparing to strike down his the malicious scum that stood before him, when all of sudden all of his rage transformed into fear at the sound of a sharp gasp.

He looked in the direction of the gasp and his eyes fell on none other than miss Cattleya Glory. She stood there completely petrified, her eyes wide enough to almost pop out of her head as she stared at Lance. She covered her gaping mouth with her hand, as if to stop it from collecting bugs. She didn't make a move beyond trembling.

A blaring alarm went off in Seig's head. He was so sure that she had gotten away, if she had heard all of that, there would be no telling what would happen next.

"Y-you… killed my parents?" The young terrified woman managed to get out, although it was just barely above that of an audible whisper.

Her fear only made Lance's smirk grow wider. "See, you did know what I was talking about, huh princess. Yeah, I think that his wife was in the car with him when it crashed. I never thought I'd have to kill you or that damned little snot you call brother too though, I didn't think it was a necessary action. Don't get me wrong, it's not because I feel bad slaying kids, I was just a lazy person back then."

Silent tears fell from Cattleya's eyes as she listened to this monster's sick story. This couldn't be happening, this whole thing had to be a nightmare!

"Also, I didn't think you had anyway of getting to Inner world anyway. Back then Raregroove had only a one-way portal into Outer world and no way back in. I suppose I shouldn't complain I mean it's lucky we got our hands on any portal at all. I've been searching for a new one ever since. I even had to get a job that would allow me to get dirt on where I might find one." He took his eyes off of Cattleya for one moment and turned to the furious Seig Hart.

"Hey, I don't suppose you'd know a way back in, huh blue haired?"

"WAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Cattleya screamed in absolute emotional pain and charged at Lance blinded by her own fury. Lance, although not expecting the woman's attack, was ready for it nonetheless. He'd finally get to shed that blood he was itching for all this time.

"Miss Glory! No!" Seig yelled as he ran to try and stop her. Using quick reflexes and the pure adrenalin that came when seeing a friend in danger, he dove for her and managed to push her out of the way of Lance's attack. His sword narrowly missed them both by only an inch or so.

Sieg and Cattleya closed their eyes and braced themselves when they came to a skidding halt as their sides connected with the parking lot's hard pavement. Sieg wanted to scold the woman for not running to safety like he had told her to earlier, but when he opened his eyes and found himself face to devastated face with Cattleya and all anger inside of him melted into pity for her.

Her teary eyes held pain, fear, rage, and pure sorrow in them. She made no effort to stop the fat teardrops that rolled down her cheeks.

"That man… Monster… He killed my…"

Before Seig could say anything to help the poor woman, he suddenly remembered they were not alone. He quickly rolled the both of them out of the way, just before Lance's sword came down on them, almost splitting the two in half.

It was clear that Cattleya was in too much shock to try and run now, so Seig would have to protect her. It wasn't hard to stop the beasts that the sword generated, but if Lance should come too close with his actual blade, they would be in big trouble. There was no magic that could block a sword.

"So are you guys gonna tell me where I can find the prince and the way home already? There must be a new portal up around here somewhere. The one who tells me first, I kill last." Lance mocked.

"I thought you said you already killed the prince?" Sieg asked as he stood to take a defensive stance between him and his helpless friend.

"I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about his son. He and that one behind you are technically heirs to that mess you call a kingdom, and I'll be damned If they take that title." Lance sneered.

Seig didn't know what to make of all this new information. He didn't show it on the service, but inside he was completely flabbergasted. He decided that it would be best to push all of those feelings aside and focus on the fight before him. If he didn't, then there would be no later time for him to deal with that at all.

Using all of the magic inside of him, Sieg materialized a glowing sword out of thin air. The blade was massive and it looked as if it were made of a lightning itself. Using his newly made weapon, he charged at his enemy.

For the next few minutes, the two of them went blow for blow with each other. Each swing came down with the intent to kill. At first glance it appeared as though they were both equally matched, but Lance was a much better swordsmen than Seig, and the vassal was loosing footing, while Lance was showing no signs of exhaustion.

Finally with one last strike, it looked as though the fight would be over with Lance as the victor. He swung hard on Sieg's lightning sword and knocked the weapon from his hand. As soon as it hit the pavement, it dematerialized into nothing.

Sieg's eyes went wide at the sound of his blade clattering against the parking lot. In that split second, he was sure that would be the last sound he ever heard. It almost seemed like slow motion as Lance came at him; ready to deliver the killing blow and he could do nothing in time to stop him.

The next thing he knew a loud crack could be heard coming from Lance's skull and the man was falling to his knees as he lost consciousness. Seig looked up at what could have possibly done that in total surprise.

Standing over Lance's unmoving form was Cattleya with Sieg's now blood stained, heavy spell book in her hands. She panted heavily as she stared down at the killer. Her eyes were red and puffy from all of the crying, and they held an expression that pleaded with the question, 'what was she going to do now?'

Slowly her grip loosened on the book, until it fell from her hands and on to the pavement, the sound resonated in her ears, causing her to once again burst out into sobs.

Sieg just couldn't help but look at the poor woman with so much sympathy. She was truly struggling with what to do on the inside. The man who took her parents from her all those years ago was just lying right there in front of her, and all she could manage to do was cry.

Seig came to the decision to do something to help his friend that he did no do often. But she looked like she really needed it. He wrapped his arms around the weeping figure in front of him and held her in a warm, comforting hug. Nothing needed to be said out loud. She just had a very rough day.

* * *

**(Present time, on the New Elie/ Capitol border.)**

"I stayed with her for the rest of the night. I felt like I couldn't leave her alone after all that, so I slept on her hotel room's couch. The next morning I used the portal to get into Inner world where I planned to head to the capitol. Looking back I think forgetting to provide all of Elie's papers and such, helped stop Lance from being able to find us if he was ever contacted to come look for us." Seig explained as he wrapped up his story.

Not a single person there who had just heard all of Sieg's story did not have their mouth hanging open or their eyes wide with shock as they all stared befuddled at the man.

Elie was the one to speak up first. "So what your saying is… Haru is the future king of this country?"

Now it was Seig's turn to look befuddled. "That's… not really the point of my tale."

"But his majesty declared that if anyone from his family should ever return from Outer world, they would be given their title back, right? Holy bitchen crap!" Julia interjected.

"Listen, Lance Beastman was obviously insane. If we rely solely on his testimony, than we can't really be sure." Seig replied, trying to bring order to the group.

"But it all fits so perfectly! I mean, look at Haru! It's obvious he's an Inner worlder, just from his hair and eyes alone!" Let added, excitedly.

Elie was truly excited with these new findings. If Haru became future king, he could stay in Inner world and she could still see him pretty often. Suddenly she wasn't the highest socially ranked member of the group anymore. She didn't feel so alone. She turned to the teenager with a large smile on her face.

"Hey this means you might be my boss someday, huh?" She teased, but then her smile fell when she noticed he wasn't as excited about all of this as much as everyone else was. He just continued to stare at Seig as if he was still telling his tale. He had a blank expression on his face and he was completely unmoving.

"Haru?" She asked concerned. This was a lot to take in at once. Maybe he was in shock. "What do you make of all this?"

This whole thing truly struck Haru. He just found out his parents were murdered and that his father was prince of this whole country that alone sent the boy for a loop of emotions.

Despite all of that, it seemed like all of his problems would be solved if he were the new prince. He didn't have to worry about never seeing Elie again or not being able to be with her because she was in a class beyond him. He could finally do something with his life that was great, just like he always dreamed he could. But for some reason, he just couldn't wrap his mind around it. It was like he was numb to idea of him being royalty. It just didn't hit him.

"I don't know you guys. I mean, don't get me wrong, it would be so awesome if it were true, but for some reason I just can't wrap my head around it. I mean, I don't feel like royalty. What does royalty feel like any way?" He stood looking at his hands as if trying to find anything that felt different about them that would prove it to be right or wrong.

"Maybe Seig is right. We shouldn't get our hopes up about this until we have more proof."

"Well the only person who could confirm this would be his majesty, the king. If he thinks you're his grandson, then let's go with that. We were going to go see him anyway weren't we?"

"That's right. You all must get to the capitol as fast as possible, so that you may tell the king about all of this. It's the highest priority right now." Seig directed. But Elie didn't like his choice of words. Her eyebrows creased in worry as she hoped he didn't mean what she thought.

"What do you mean 'you'? Seig, you're coming with us, right?"

He shook his head no in response. "Now that I know you are safe, I've decided to go to New Elie castle and take back our home. Whoever is running this show exactly, I have a feeling he will be there, and I have much to ask him… and to kill him." He added.

"You can't go alone! It's too dangerous!" Elie pleaded. Just wait until we get to the capitol. Once we speak to the king, I'm sure he'll send troops!"

"My grace, you know as well as I do that this is something that must be done as soon as possible. There is still so much information that we need out of them. Anyone can come with me if they want as long as there are enough strong people left to escort you to the capitol, milady."

At first no one volunteered for the job of going with Seig. It was extremely dangerous, and there was a huge chance, someone could be killed.

Haru couldn't do it because he had to ask the king to see if he truly was prince, and he already swore to Elie that he would take her to the capitol. Julia didn't want to go. She wanted to meet with this king. She'd be the first female Makai resident to do so, and if she wasn't going to New Elie castle, than Let didn't want to go either.

Musica knew exactly what he wanted to do now. His determined eyes said everything.

"Guys I want you to take care of New Elie while I'm taking the squirt to see the king, alright?" Musica ordered his men. They all stared at him agape. Clearly not expecting that."

"B-b-but boss…" Hebi began to get a little teary eyed at the thought of their leader leaving them.

"No buts, you're in charge, Hebi. These guys need me more, and I already gave the Grand Duchess my word. And come on, it's not like I'll never see you guys again, As soon as this whole thing is over, I'll come strait back."

None of them protested, but that still didn't stop them from getting a little weepy. As they all said their goodbyes, Haru sent a little glare Musica's way. He would have been just fine if Musica had decided not to come.

"So it's settled then. The Silver Rhythm gang will stay in this state, Seig, Belnika, and Ruby will march on to New Elie castle, and the rest of us will go to the capitol." Elie exclaimed as she clapped her hands together in excitement.

The duo stared wide-eyed at Elie. "Um, Who's marching on to New Elie castle, and where was I when this was this decided?" Belnika asked, fearful of the answer.

"Well you guys said you wanted to be vassals and this is exactly the kind of work that vassals perform. I saw what you did when you were riding Let and Julia. I'll bet you guys will be great helps to Seig! Then when this is all over, I can make you two vassals, officially!" Elie said with a smile.

Ruby and Belnika however, were not smiling. They stammered trying to get their words out as to why that would be a bad idea.

"Oh, well, that is, to say, we're, um, poyo, I'm allergic to barraging castles and, um."

"It's settled then. We shall split up here. Come now you two, there's no time to loose!" Seig shouted as he ran off in the direction of New Elie castle. Begrudgingly, the duo followed him at a slower, less certain pace.

"This is gonna be very bad, poyo…"

* * *

**As far as plot twists go, a lot of people said they saw this coming over ten chapters ago. Well you can all relish in the fact that this is the chapter that it's said out loud. Haru is Symphonia's future king…. Possibly. We still have a few chapters to go before we see the king and he could just turn Haru away. Could it be that there is another plot twist involved in the story that explains that not only is Haru not the future king but that his family's past is something far more intricate? Keep reading!**

**Well I sure hope you've all enjoyed the shortest story arc so far. Next week we start a whole new one where even more questions are answered. How was the New Elie take over possible? What happened to the rest of Elie's vassals? Can Belnika go at least 20 minutes where she's not a little spazz?**

**You know how Belnika is allergic to barraging castles? Well I'm allergic to not getting reviews. save me!**


	20. Taking Back The Homeland  Part 1

**Taking Back the Homeland Part 1**

**Psst! Hey guess what? I have a secret for you, come closer, no closer. I don't own Rave Master.

* * *

**

The walk back to New Elie castle was a long one, and would take at least a few days. Luckily Belnika and Ruby were used to walking for long periods of time by now. Well maybe not used to it, but they were better at it than they were before. Now there biggest discomfort was the fact that traveling all the time became very tedious, and Sieg was not very big on talking, so the duo had to do other things to pass the time while walking, things that annoyed the blue haired vassal to new levels.

"62 spell casting charms in the book, 62 spell casting chaaaaarrrrmmms~

You take one out! You enchant it about!

61 spell casting charms in the book, 61 spell casting chaaaarrrrrrrmmms~"

They sang out together.

"Hey Sieg! Why aren't you singing, poyo?" Ruby stopped to ask.

Sieg, who was walking at least ten feet ahead of the two, stopped for a moment and let out an aggravated sigh. It was taking all of his energy to put up with the two at the moment, and he needed that energy for when he got to the castle.

He looked back at his companions before saying "I'm trying to formulate a plan, for when we reach our destination. We don't know exactly what we'll be facing when we get there, and it's in all our best interests that we are prepared for the worst."

He turned forward and went right on walking.

Belnika gulped down a feeling of nervousness that formed in her throat. He just had to remind her. She didn't feel ready for this at all. She was just a basic sorceress, and a very uncoordinated one at that. This place could have anything. It was after all the self-proclaimed magician capitol of the whole continent. It was like sending a group of one soldier and two little kids with water balloons into a war where the enemy was a well-trained army of freaken giants with swords and axes.

These negative thoughts were giving her an inner freak out attack. She was a gold fish in the Paraná tank and she knew that she was going to get eaten alive for sure! This was a suicide mission. She didn't remember volunteering for this. Damn it. When she told the Grand Duchess she'd do whatever it took to be a vassal, she hoped that it would be something that would allow her to live long enough to enjoy the vassal life!

"We'll be fine, poyo."

Belnika was snapped out of her inner panic when her best friend tapped her on the arm and spoke to her words of comfort. She looked down at him with eyes that clearly showed her worry.

"We have Sieg Hart with us, poyo, and we've gotten a little better since we started traveling. I'll bet the opposition won't be as tough as everyone says it'll be, poyo. I mean, Elie escaped from that place with no one's help but her dog. We'll beat up the bad guys, demand our answers and report back to the capitol where our friends will be waiting to throw us a victory party, poyo!' Ruby smiled.

Without having to say anything Ruby knew exactly what his best friend was thinking. Belnika smiled. They really were close, and he knew just what to say to her to make her feel better. He was right. All she had to do was focus on what he said and not on what might happen and they would be fine. She leaned over and wrapped her arm around her best friend in a hug as they continued to walk.

"Your absolutely right Ruby. If you and I just stick together, no one will want to mess with us!"

As they walked they forgot to look where they headed, too focused on each other. That was why only a few seconds later, they hurt their heads from walking right into Sieg's back.

Sieg was unaffected by their run in, he just stared forward out on the hilltop he stood on. In just a few seconds he answered the question that the duo was just about to ask.

"We're here."

At that statement Belnika's face paled. "O-Oh, uh, heh heh. A-Are you sure? Thought it would take at least five days to get to the castle, and it's only been-"

"Five days, poyo" Ruby answered.

She gave him a nervous laugh as the butterflies in her stomach began to return. "It only feels like four and a half."

"Come!" Sieg instructed as he cautiously slid down the hill. He would go from bush to bush, tree to tree to hide himself from any enemy that might be there. He acted swiftly and discretely, like a ninja entering enemy territory. Belnika and Ruby did their best to follow his every move.

By the time they got to the brick wall covered in vines that surrounded the castle. The duo was already tired. They had no idea what Sieg was thinking. It seemed like whenever they got anywhere, they had to get up and go again. Every now and then he would give them signals with his hands, like a commander would give his men when he needed to tell them something but couldn't speak it out loud. All they could do was pretend they knew what he was trying to say. They had to be quiet, and above all they were just too embarrassed to admit they didn't know any of this kind of stuff. However it was at that point that Sieg gave them a very complex sign with his hands that completely threw the two young magicians off. Usually they could at least make an educated guess at what it was he was trying to say, but this time they were stumped. They had to ask.

"Uh, hey Sieg…" Belnika whispered as the two of them tugged at his long jacket trying to get his attention. At the moment, the vassal had his eyes peeking over the wall to see what was over it.

"What exactly-"

"SHH! Get down!" He whispered in a rushed tone. He quickly crouched down next to the two rookies and slapped a hand over each of their mouths to keep them from making noise. It was as if he just witnessed a nightmarish sight over the wall, and he had to pull away or else it would get him. They two didn't quite understand at first, but as they heard footsteps just on the other side of the wall, their eyes grew wide.

That was enemy feet they were hearing shuffling along their path. Sure it just sounding like regular feet now, but if they weren't extremely cautious then the next thing they would hear would be those feet making contact with their asses. The duo stiffened up at that thought, and their breathing quickened. If it weren't for Sieg covering their mouths, the enemy would have heard them for sure.

"I know I sensed an unfamiliar magic source coming from around here somewhere." One of the voices on the other side of the wall yelled.

"Well maybe we should go find some one whose better at tracking magic, just in case we run into trouble." Suggested another voice.

"Good idea!"

As the footsteps of the enemy seemed to fade away, signaling that they would soon be gone, Belnika and Ruby slowly began to settle down themselves, but not by a long shot. After a minute or so, when he was sure that the coast was clear, Sieg released the two rookie magicians and gave each of them a stern look.

"You two forgot to try and hide your magical signature?" He whispered in an angry tone.

The duo both blushed in their own embarrassment. They had completely forgotten about that. "Sorry we-"

"We got Lucky this time! From now on, you do your best to cover yourselves! He ordered. They nodded. Without saying anything else the vassal swiftly climbed his way over the wall. It was easy with all of the vines that coated it. they acted like a climbing net, so Sieg could move fast.

"Come on!" He called to them in an urgent but quiet tone. It took the duo a few more seconds to shake themselves out of their fear-induced stupor.

Sieg waited until they had managed themselves over the wall. (They had to put more effort in to it because they weren't in as good of shape as Sieg.) Then he took off in a run along side of the stonewall. Belnika and Ruby didn't argue or question where he was taking them. After all he had lived here at one point. They were sure he knew his way around so they followed him without complaint.

Sieg ran around the castle grounds until he came upon a back doorway entrance into the castle. They quietly slipped in. and tip toed about until they heard the sound of more voices just around the corridor.

Sieg's eyes widened and a small smile seemed to form on his lips. He couldn't believe whom he was hearing but he sure was glad it was them. He recognized these voices, and luckily for them. He considered them voices he could trust.

Forgetting his plan to be quiet as they snuck about the castle, Sieg ran strait for the sound of the chatting familiar voices. He smiled brightly as he came upon the two chatting people. They were exactly who he thought.

They were two women. One was very tall and thin. She had long dark hair and wore a large witches hat. The other was slightly shorter. She wore a scaly looking gown and a simple looking pilot's hat that allowed her spiky ponytail to pop out on the top.

"Hilde! Flicka!" Sieg exclaimed as he ran towards his old colleges, excited for the chance to see the two vassals again unhurt after all of these years. It looked as though whatever had happened here did not affect these two.

The two women stopped their conversation and stared at the man with wide eyes. It was as if they had seen a ghost. Clearly they were not expecting him.

"I am so glad to see the two of you unharmed. I was extremely worried about you two. Where are the rest of the vassals? Tell me please, what is going on?" Sieg pleaded with the two women.

For a moment, the two female vassals shared a look with each other and nodded as if they had decided on something together without saying anything. Then they turned to Sieg. "We can explain everything but first, is madam Valentine alright? Where is she?" The shorter woman, named Flicka asked.

"She is fine. She is currently on her way to meet with the king in the capitol right now. Don't worry she is very well protected." He answered.

"You must tell us everything. When we received word that the Grand Duchess was here and that she had escaped. We were afraid we'd never see or hear of her again." Hilde cried out.

"Her grace is on the road to meet with the king as we speak. She is being guarded by some good friends. Together they have passed the New Elie border. I believe that they should be arriving at the kings palace any day now." Sieg explained.

"Are you sure these 'good friends' are capable? I mean this is our Grand Duchess we are talking about? We can't be too carful." Flicka asked.

"Yes I am certain. They may be young, and a little rough around the edges but they are strong when they work together. There are four of them in all. Two of them are dragon race, and the other two hold very powerful weapons. They have all vowed to protect the Grand Duchess with their lives, believe me and do not worry." He reassured.

For a brief instant they all shared a smile, until it suddenly hit Sieg why he was there. "Ladies, why are you just standing around chatting? An enemy could hear us and attack at any moment."

They two woman looked at Sieg with raised eyebrows. "Huh? What are you talking about?" Flicka questioned.

"You may not believe this, but there is a huge possibility that the country of Raregroove wants to take back New Elie state! When the Grand Duchess was here last time, she informed me that this place was crawling with soldiers that were certainly not of this country. They held her captive here and she barely managed to escape!"

"Oh those guys" Hilde smirked. "There most certainly were some worthless men, in this palace when we came here, but we all were able to take care of them. They stood no chance."

"All?" Sieg questioned, hoping it meant what he thought it sounded like.

"Why the rest of the New Elie vassals of coarse." Answered Hilde.

Sieg practically beamed at her last statement. His comrades were fine. After all the worrying he had done for them. They were all right after all, and not only that, but they had managed to beat back the deplorable men who had taken over this place! It was the best thing that Sieg could have ever hoped for.

"So what happened? How did you do it?" He asked in his excitement.

"Oh gosh, that reminds me!" Cried Flicka. "You should go see sir Haja right away! He'll be able to explain everything, and you need to go tell him all that you have found out!"

Haja. Sieg relished in the chance to see his old mentor again. He would be so proud of him for all that he was able to do to serve the Valentine family. "Yes. Take me to him right away!"

As the three New Elie vassals raced away to find Haja, the two wanabe vassals were still hiding on the other side of the room. They had just seen and heard the entire conversation between Sieg and the two women but choose not to get involved until Sieg signaled them over.

"Uh, do you think he forgot about us, poyo?" Ruby asked his best friend.

"I don't know, but one thing is for sure. There goes that whole sneaking around plan." Belnika answered as she stepped out into the light where she could be seen. Fortunately for her, no one was around, and if she had just heard right, then she it didn't matter if they were seen or not.

"Well Ruby, my friend, If Sieg says it's safe then it looks like it's gonna be smooth sailing from here on out, huh?" She said with a bright smile, happy that she wouldn't have to fight the big bad guys.

Ruby however, did not look so convinced. "I don't know, poyo. Did you see their eyes, poyo? They almost looked like they were… glowing red, poyo?"

* * *

Sieg practically held his breath as he entered the Valentine throne room where his mentor would be. It was so long since he had seen him. He couldn't wait to tell him everything, and learn everything that had been going on around here all this time.

As he walked in he was able to contain his enthusiasm and remain cool and dignified just as he was always taught, but below the surface, he could feel his happiness bubble up. Not only was Haja standing in the center of the room, but also all of his other vassal comrades were there. Some faces he recognized off the bat, others took him a minute, because they may have changed their looks or had gotten older. As they all turned to look him in the eyes a wonderful sense of coming home had come over him.

"Sir Haja. It is so good to see you again. There is so much that needs to-"

"We've captured the intruder. He knows where to find the Etherion child!"

When Sieg heard Hilde yell that out, his eyebrows creased in confusion and his smile fell of his face. He didn't understand.

"Excellent work, Ladies, this pleases your master. Make sure he doesn't leave." Haja replied in his normal deadpan voice.

The next thing Sieg knew, he could feel his arms and Legs all being grabbed and pulled down. He couldn't move them at all and the next thing he knew, he was pinned down to the floor! His shock and dismay grew even larger when he realized it was his own vassal comrades who were holding him in place.

"Wh-what in the world is going on?" Sieg franticly asked as he tried to pull himself out of their grasps but to no avail. There were too many of them and they were all holding on strong.

"He already told us of her location and how many people are guarding her. Recapturing her should be a snap." Flicka added with a smug look on her face.

"Perfect. You wizards are much more effectual than those moronic guards who failed to contain her here." Haja replied with a sinister smirk on his old lips.

"I demand to know what's going on! Why are you doing this? What are you talking about?" Sieg yelled as he franticly squirmed in their hold.

"We already told you. Those idiots that were stationed here were a bunch a failures, so we were called in to destroy them and take their place. They were dead weight, so our master invited us back to the castle to take charge of things here." Flicka sneered.

"W-what? " Sieg was in shock. There was no way he was hearing this!

"Before that, we were sent out all around the state to keep order in the civilian towns, and make sure that they followed our master's new laws and orders." Hilde tried to clear up for him as if they weren't talking about anything important.

Haja walked right up to the contained vassal and knelt down to his eye level so that he would be able to look the man strait in the eye as he told him what he felt. "Thank so very much Sieg Hart for providing us with all of the information we need to get the Grand Duchess back for our Master. I always considered you so very helpful to me."

The old vassal gave Sieg the most disgusting smile as he got back up to his feet, his soulless evil eyes never leaving his. That was when Sieg noticed it. Everyone in the room had red eyes. They started out dull and almost un-noticeable. The kind of thing you wouldn't look twice at and could only be seen if you focused hard on them. Now that he was looking at them clearly, they almost seemed like they were glowing a sick, un-natural, fire engine red. Sieg's eyes darted around the room quickly as if to meet the eyes of everyone else to confirm it. They were all like that.

"I want him thrown in the dungeon!"

Sieg was snapped out of his shock at the sound of Haja's command and the next thing he knew, his fellow vassals were roughly dragging him away. As soon as the unreal situation had hit him, all he could do was struggle and yell.

"Haja! Why are you doing this! This isn't right! This is-"

"Shut up!" One of the wizards who held onto him yelled.

The next thing Sieg knew, he felt a heavy blunt object connect with the back of his skull. Pain exploded in his head and stars clouded his vision before he lost all consciousness.

* * *

Slowly, ever so slowly, Sieg began to wake up. He moaned in discomfort and his eyelids scrunched together tightly. His head was pounding in one area and before he even opened his eyes, he reached his hand up there to check the damage. He didn't feel any blood. That was a good sign, but he could defiantly feel a definitive bump. Being knocked out with a blunt object was never good for a man.

"Sieg? Sieg are you awake?"

The blue haired vassal's eyes shot open at the sound of the new voice. He shot up, expecting to see an enemy. This whole day was filled with unexpected and unwanted surprises. One couldn't blame him for being on high alert, unfortunately, the one sitting over Sieg did not know any of that and he practically flew back in surprise when Sieg suddenly sat up.

It was a short boy, just old enough to barely pass for the age of 13. He had unkempt greasy blue hair, filthy clothing that was torn and tattered at the edges, and blue eyes that were wide with shock at Sieg's sudden awakening.

"Who are you?" Sieg asked cautiously, his eyes narrowing at the boy.

"Y-you don't recognize me, sir? W-well I guess I have grown since we last saw each other." The boy said nervously under one of Sieg's infamous stare downs.

That voice was so familiar to Sieg. Like he had heard it from a dream long ago. Then it hit him. A sudden vision of a small 7-year-old boy flashed in his brain. People were congratulating him, telling him how proud he should be to be the youngest vassal in all of New Elie history. That was when it hit him.

"Niebel?"

A small grin flashed across the boys face when Sieg called him by name. "So you do recognize me?"

Sieg let out a relieved sigh that he didn't even know he was holding. He took a second look at Niebel. Bright crystal blues eyes, just the same as the day of his knighting into becoming a vassal. He was not like the others.

"You have grown, Niebel. It took me a moment to recognize you. It's so good to see you."

"Yeah. I know what you mean. Friendly faces are hard to come by around here."

Niebel's comment rang true. The other Vassals were not themselves! Something must have happened! It was at that moment Sieg realized where he was. Both of them were sitting in the middle of a giant dungeon. The ceiling made of brick and stone, must have stretched on for thirty feet. Chains and shackles adorned the walls, and the air was filled with the sounds of drippy pipes and the scurrying of rat's feet.

Sieg had looked all around him. There was no way out that he could see. He did a full 180-degree turn to make sure but there were no doors to be seen. The only thing he could find was a small little blue creature with yellow tentacles and full pink lips hanging from shackles on the wall.

"Hi there." The creature said upon being noticed by Sieg.

"That's Griff. Don't say anything to him. You will never get him to shut up again." Niebel explained.

"Niebel! Something is wrong with the other vassals! It's like they've thrown a mutiny!" Sieg panicked upon remembering the situation.

"I'm afraid it's worse than that Sieg. Every vassal in New Elie has been put under a spell. They've been brainwashed! "

"What?" That couldn't be. All New Elie vassals were well-trained expert Magic users. How could all of them have been mind wiped just like that? It wasn't possible!

You've seen their eyes right? The glowing red is a side affect from the potion. Up until we were all summoned back here to the castle a little while ago, we were all sent around the state to various villages to impose our order. Every now and then we were sent packages from the castle. They contained this strange red drink, orders of how to handle the civilians, and new laws that were made up that we had to enforce. We were told that the drink was a potion that would help us keep our strengths up and we were ordered to drink that instead of the water.

"You mean like an energy drink?" Sieg asked.

Not understanding the Outer world term 'energy drink', Niebel just answered so he could continue with his story, "Um, yeah, like that.

We all drank it without question, but a when we came back to the castle; I sort of lost my water bottle. I should have asked for a new one, but I was too embarrassed to admit I lost mine. After that, things starting to come back to me. It was as if those drinks erased our memories and replaced them with new ones. When I finally remembered everything. I tried to convince the others of what was going on and they locked me up in here! I've been here for over a week!"

"So that's it. It all makes sense now. What happened to the vassals, How the state was able to be overtaken without anyone's notice, everything." Sieg concluded. "Niebel, there must be a way of getting out of here so that we can relay this information back to the capitol!"

The young wizard shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, the door can only appear with the presence of magic, and only on the outside of this room. This place is like a giant box that was sealed up on the outside. There is no way out, unless some wizard on the outside opens it."

"Hey, why would they put a jail underneath the home of one of the most important people in the state anyway?" Griff called out from across the room.

Niebel sighed in annoyance with the creature. "This place was never meant for a jail for big time criminals. This is just a holding cell for small time offenders. Every day, the Grand Duchess is suppose to come down here and hear out the people who were arrested for various offences in law breaking. Depending on the law broken, the age of the criminal, past offences and how sorry he or she seems, the Grand Duchess will release them, keep them down here a little longer, or send them to a more secure prison far from here. It's one of the Grand Duchess's duties.

"Oh, I see, because I thought-"

Sieg jumped in before Griff could start in on his long speech. "Now we're considered the offenders, but the Grand Duchess is not going get us out of here, huh?" In a good way that was good. He didn't want to imagine the pained expression on poor Lady Elie's face if she saw her own precious vassals treat her so shamefully, or what exactly they would do to her if they got their hands on her. They'd never forgive themselves if she had gotten hurt, let alone if they were the one's to cause the pain. Sadly thanks to the information Sieg had given them, they might be on their way to getting her very soon. They had to get out quickly!

"Yes." Niebel replied sadly. "I've tried for so long, but my magic won't work down here. Only a wizard can get us out on the outside and all of them are under enemy control."

"Well actually there are two wizards out there who can get us out, but…." Things would get very scary if they had to depend on Belnika and Ruby.

* * *

**So let's see the comedy relief duo, who can't help but trip over their own two feet every ten minutes and cower in the face of danger will have to take on a small army of the most powerful and ruthless wizards in the entire country who happen to be famous throughout all of Inner world and on their home turf.**

**Place your bets people. Who will win in a fight between these opposing forces, because once this thing starts, it won't be over until it's over! And from the sound of things it'll be over pretty quick.**

**Well one thing is for sure; the next chapter is going to be pretty interesting, so I'll see you back here next Friday, all right? Make sure to bring your reviews, because you know how much I adore them.**

**Love ya and God bless, my readers!**


	21. Taking Back The Homeland  Part 2

**Taking Back The Homeland Part 2**

**Alas! I shall never own the series that is Rave Master! Whoa is me!

* * *

**

After about 20 minutes of just waiting in the shadows for Sieg to come back and bring them any new news about what to do next, Belnika and Ruby began to grow bored so they opted for just wandering around the castle. Even though they were pretty sure that they didn't need to be so cautious any more, they still acted very quietly just to be sure.

"I'LL MAKE THIS LOUD AND CLEAR, POYO! WE SHOULD BE VERY QUIET, POYO!" Ruby yelled in his clearly excited and nervous state.

"Okay, Ruby just scale the volume back 70 %. People on the top floor can hear you." Belnika corrected him in a hushed anger.

"I WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTOOD, PO-"

"I do. I do. Now hush! We have to think about this."

"You saw the way Sieg just went up to those two wizards and chatted away like it was Sunday brunch. Then he just ran away without worrying about silence or stealth. Maybe this place isn't as dangerous as we originally thought." Belnika reasoned as they turned the corner down another corridor.

"You really think so, Poyo?" Ruby who was walking in front of her looked back to ask out of curiosity.

"Sure. Why else would Sieg just leave us there with no instructions? Hey maybe Sieg's friends have already freed this place before we even got here. Wouldn't that just make everything a trillion times better and easier for us?" She asked dreamily. Hoping with all her might that it was the truth.

"Shh! Belnika, I think I can hear someone coming." Ruby whispered to his friend.

As the sound of footsteps got closer from around the next corner, the duo became frantic in finding a place to hide. They turned in circles, not being able to decide if they wanted to go back or forth and they bumped into each other a few times in the process. Finally they just decided to go back and round the corner that they just came from.

They made it just in time before they were spotted. Their backs were against the walls, their whole bodies tense with anxiety. Belnika decided to make the bold move of sticking her head out ever so slightly to get a better look at who was coming.

It just looked like two regular guys, besides the fact that they were dressed in wizard garb. One had such shaggy orange hair, you could barley see his eyes, but his crooked buck teeth stuck out very well. The second guy was tall, thin and lanky, and had mint green hair that was slicked back too much and appeared greesy. They chatted with each other about this and that, making Belnika completely un-noticed.

The violet haired sorceress turned her head back to look at her friend. "I'll bet these guys are friends with Sieg too." She whispered.

"How do you figure, poyo?" He whispered back.

"They look like a couple of nice guys and the enemy wears uniforms and these guys are dressed in normal wizard clothes. Gasp! Do you think they could be vassals?"

"Let's ask them poyo!" Ruby whispered getting a little excited. Maybe things really were looking up for them.

Casually the duo rounded the corner to come face to face with the two strangers they were just discussing. Being all smiles, Belnika asked, "Hi, are you friends of Sieg Hart?"

"INTRUDORS! GET THEM!"

The duo yelped almost jumping out of their skin when the two men charged at them. Out of pure surprise they made a dash in the other direction away from the two guys who were clearly not friends of Sieg. As they were running Ruby asked, "So… Huff, huff,… What do you think, poyo… Huff, huff… Worst idea we ever came up with, poyo?"

In no mood to put up with her friend's attitude, Belnika snapped back, "Shut up and run, penguin!"

They continued to run as fast as their legs would allow, down corridor after corridor with the two mean sorcerers right on their heals. They just thought as long as they got away from those crazy jerks it wouldn't matter where they ended up. As usual the universe proved them wrong.

As they passed by a new corridor they came upon a fork in the hallways. They stopped for a second to decide, right or left. Just as they decide to go right, a new threat came toward them. Coming down from that very chosen hallway, were three more mean-looking magic users. They spotted the duo instantly and immediately recognized that they did not belong there.

"Hey who are you?" One of them yelled out as all three of them began a fast jog in their direction. The two rookie magicians came to a halt and quickly changed their minds deciding to go back towards the left hallway instead. At that point the three new wizards met up with the other two that were chasing them. Now they had five wizards after them.

"Okay… Huff… So… Now what do we do?" Belnika huffed as she ran. The five magic users were gaining on them fast. Things did not look good.

"Don't worry, poyo… Huff… I'm sure- AHHH!" Once again the universe loved to prove them wrong and destroy their hope, things got so much worse. Ruby had just barely managed to dodge a blast of lightning that one of their pursuers shot at them. They were using magic now! Soon more of them were throwing more blasts of magic. The villains were using fire, lightning, anything that would hurt and they would throw it in the poor duo's direction.

Belnika and Ruby did their best avoid as many hits as they could if only by pure luck. They yelped and cried out in fear as each blast sinjed and even broke holes in the castle's walls. Belnika's anxiety only grew as she kept telling herself with each hole that was created, 'that could be her, that could be her!'

One blast of lighting hit a large pillar and debris flew up everywhere as the thing shattered like it were made of glass.

"I want to go home!" The purple hair woman cried as a few tears sprinkled down her face. She didn't want anymore of this craziness! All she did was ask a question and the next thing she knew she was being chased around a castle by five insane magicians who were throwing magic at her with the intent to kill! This was so unfair! She never asked for this!

While Belnika was having her mini freak out attack, Ruby was coming up with a plan. He knew from the beginning that coming here would be no cakewalk and he swore that he would do whatever he it took to protect his best friend. They had made a promise a long time ago that they would one day become New Elie vassals together, and damn it all he was going to make sure that happened. No matter what!

"Belnika I have a plan, poyo! You have to listen to me!" He yelled to her while they were running but Belnika was too panicked to hear him. He decided to just go for it. In the midst of their mad speed dash he quickly reached onto his back. He had something bundled away that he always kept there in case of emergencies, and if there were ever an emergency, this would be it.

Keeping one flipper firmly on the bundle, he reached his other flipper out to grab his friend's hand. It was sweaty from the combination of her fear and the running they were doing but he didn't care. She held on to him just as strong with no protest.

"Hold on to me, poyo!" He yelled out. Before she had a chance to ask why, the penguin made his move. In one quick swift, he pulled hard on the bundle tied up on his back, causing the wrappings to come undone, revealing his tiny, blue sword. He whipped the weapon down, aiming for the ground right in front of them. Just as the blade's metal clanged into the floor a blinding bright light appeared. Everyone, friend and enemy alike shut their eyes for just a moment to protect themselves from the harsh light.

Belnika, who couldn't see where she was going as a result tripped over her own best friend running in front of her. She didn't open her eyes as she skid across the cold floor, she was too afraid.

She had tripped! That was it! It was over for her! Those ruthless wizards would take advantage of her like this and blast her dead with fire, lightning, or possibly something even more terrifying than that! There was no way she would be able to get up in time to save herself! With her last few seconds of life that she had planned, her cowered in a ball, hands covering her head, and silently she prayed.

"Belnika, poyo…."

Wait that was Ruby's voice, and only Ruby's voice! That didn't make any sense! What about those five crazy wizards chasing them? Shouldn't they have attacked by now?

Ever so slowly, Belnika managed to summon the courage to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was Ruby standing over her smiling at her. He was unhurt!

Then she noticed something else. This wasn't the hallway they were running in. It looked more like a large office, complete with a big oak desk on one side of the room, and a living room set of lavish green couches and sitting chairs on the far side of the other. The long curtains were made of silk as the waved slightly with the breeze that came from the open window. The entire room was long enough to play sports in, that is if one wasn't afraid of possibly damaging the dazzling decorum. It was clear that they were still in the castle, but they most certainly weren't in the same part of the castle as they were before.

"W-where are we? What happened?" She squeaked out as the girl pushed herself onto her hands and knees.

Ruby smiled as he held up his sword. "I used my 'Holy Bell', poyo. That's the name I gave my sword, poyo."

Ruby's sword was what allowed him to use magic. It worked very similarly to a wand, which was good because he never learned proper sword training and that was the only way he knew how to use it. He did not have the ability to perform magic without it.

"You see Holy Bell has the power to allow me and whoever I'm touching, poyo, to either ascend to a high level, or descend to a lower level, poyo. I used it to make us teleport up to the castle's second floor and away from those scary bad guys, poyo."

Belnika's eyes went wide with fascination, surprise and anger at her friend's explanation. "You've had the power to teleport us this entire time I've known you and you've never used it? You know I hate walking long distances! We traveled half the country for nothing!"

"Shh. Quiet, poyo. Someone might hear you, and the teleporting power only works when you want to go up to another floor, or down. We couldn't have used it in the forest, poyo." He tried to calm her down.

She was still slightly steamed at her friend for keeping this great power from her all this time, but she knew he had a point and that he was right that this wasn't the time or place for bickering. She pushed herself onto her feet and walked toward the open window. As she glanced down at the beautiful scenery around her, she knew she just couldn't enjoy it. As scary as it was, what had just happened to her and Ruby, it meant something very bad.

"Sieg isn't going to come back to tell us that everything is going to be fine like we had hoped, huh?" She asked the penguin sullenly.

There was no point in answering her. They both knew the answer to that dumb question. It was pointless to believe in such a long shot in the first place. The little wizard rookie looked down at his webbed flippers with a look of utter defeat on his face.

The violet haired mage let out a sigh as she also hung her head. "Now we are trapped in their castle without Sieg and without a plan. Well that just figures."

Ruby just couldn't stand to hear his best friend sound so crestfallen. A new determination swelled up inside of him. He had to say something to cheer her up.

"Aw, come on, poyo. We managed to get away form those five creeps. Who says the other 40 wizards in this castle will be able to catch us, poyo? Now that we're in some sort of building with lots of floors we'll be able evade whoever comes our way, poyo. We might not be good at fighting but we're plenty good at getting away, poyo."

Belnika turned to look her friend in the eyes "But that's just it Ruby. We can't just keep dodging around forever. That won't help us accomplish anything. Sieg is the only one among us that can fight, and for all we know they could have gotten him already.

Sigh. I knew this would happen. I knew it was a bad idea to try and take back New Elie with only three wizards. If we were just better trained…"

The sorceress's eyes widened, when she realized what she had just stumbled upon. It was the answer to all of their problems! The perfect plan!

"That's it, Ruby! We'll just get more people to come and help us! We'll contact another state with super strong vassals and ask them for advice on what to do! Surely someone knows how to take on tough, nasty wizards"

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "How in the world do we do that poyo? It'll take forever to get to another state, poyo."

"We won't travel to another state." Belnika beamed happily and proudly at her friend. "Think about it Ruby. What is it that really rich and important people have to speak with other really rich and important people from far away?"

The little penguin just gave her a blank stare. He thought about it for a few moments but came up with nothing.

"A phone, Ruby! We'll find one and we can use it to let somebody out there know of our situation and get help!"

"But Belnika, poyo, I thought that phone's were outlawed in this state so that no one would be able to get in touch with the outside world, poyo." Ruby cried out, remembering what one of the Silver Rhythm gang members had told him once.

"Come on Ruby. Do you think theses guys aren't the kind of people who would bend the rules for themselves. Besides, every noble has to have a phone in their home so that the king would be able to contact them in case of an emergency. There must be one around here somewhere. We just have to look."

Now that he thought of it Ruby was starting to believe this sounded like a good idea. Surely any Noble would be willing to help out there cawse if they explained it to them. After all it's for the sake of Symphonia. The Grand Baron Altigis seemed like a nice person who would be willing to help. Or they could get in touch with the Capitol. Maybe Haru and the rest of their friends were already there, and they could speak with them. They could even get in touch with someone other than a noble, like someone who was rich who owned a phone, like his daddy.

"Yeah, poyo! Phone's are the greatest, poyo!" Ruby yelled in his excitement over the new plan, forgetting that they needed to be quiet.

"Hey. Did you hear someone just now?"

Ruby and Belnika's faces paled exponentially when they heard the voice of an unfamiliar, but nasty sounding stranger. They almost lost control of their bowels at the thought of being caught again. They shared a look that clearly expressed they were thinking the same thing.

"Start looking now, poyo?" Ruby asked.

"Start looking now." Belnika answered.

"It's coming from this room!" Another stranger's voice sounded off. This time he sounded like he was getting closer. Oh no, they couldn't get caught now!

Belnika dashed over to her friend and threw her arms around him, ready to leave. "Let's look on another floor." She suggested in a hurry.

"Which one?" The penguin asked as he prepared his sword to do its magic again.

At that second the sound of the doorknob turning could be heard. The enemy was just about to enter the room when Belnika screamed in her panic, "Pick one!"

The moment right before that door swung open to their room, the bright familiar flash of light that enveloped them before consumed both of the rookie magician, and they were gone in that instant.

As the light began to fade away, revealing their new location Belnika let out a sigh and her tensed body relaxed. That was a close one. It was then she realized she had spoken much too soon. She blinked at the scenery around her. Dozens of strangers, all dressed in wizard garb littered the room they were in. They were completely surrounded by the enemy, and that large circle of mean-looking wizards all had their eyes focused on the two little helpless intruders dead set in the middle of all of them.

"AHHH! CHOOSE ANOTHER FLOOR! CHOOSE ANOTHER FLOOR!" The girl cried out, just as the wizards were getting ready to unleash hell upon the duo.

Ruby wasted no time and once more activated Holy Bell's power to save them both right before the enemy had their moment to attack.

Their landing wasn't so graceful. They grunted as they suddenly found themselves thrown into such a dark, cramped little space. Belnika butt landed right on the hard wooden floor, her head hit the back wall and her feet slammed into the opposite wall. There were so many different types of fabric blocking her vision she couldn't see, but she could defiantly feel Ruby lying on top of her, also a little dizzy from the landing.

"Ugh~ I think we got teleported to an upstairs closet, poyo." Ruby moaned in his uncomfortably cramped state.

That explained why there was no legroom. Belnika kicked the wooden door open and they both crawled out. As they got up and dusted themselves off, the violet haired sorceress smiled.

"Well at least we got out of that mess."

"EVERYBODY BE ON HIGH ALERT! WE HAVE TWO MORE INTRUTORS IN THE FACINETY. BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR A PENGUIN-LIKE CREATURE, AND HIS MESSY HAIRED FEMALE ACCOMPLICE!"

A voice echoed through the entire palace. There was no way that no one had heard the announcement. Now everyone knew they were there and everyone would be looking for them.

Ruby shot his friend a little glare. 'You are just the queen of jinxes, aren't you poyo?"

"My hair's not really that messy, is it?" She asked as she ran her fingers through her violet locks, clearly too preoccupied with the feeling of self-consciousness at the moment.

Ruby's eyes went wide when realization struck him. "Belnika, poyo. Listen."

She was still muttering to herself. "The messy look is in right now."

"Belnika! They used the words 'more intruders' that must mean that they've already gotten to Sieg, or at least know where he is, poyo." The penguin yelled with total seriousness in his voice as he came to the horrifying conclusion.

Snapped out of her mutterings, Belnika gasped. "If they got Sieg so quickly then there's no way we can do this. Ruby we're all alone!" She began to panic.

"Belnika, po-"

"No, Ruby this is it! We're dead! We must have over three dozen highly trained wizards all after us, waiting to kill us and we are trapped here in their domain with no protection! You know we can't just keep skipping around looking for one measly phone in this giant palace forever! They are going to find us eventually and they are going to end us!"

"Bel-"

"There was so many things I wanted to do with my life and now I'll never get to do any of them. I wanted to become an internationally famous wizard, working for the best enchantress noble family in the whole world. They'll never write books about me, that would have found there way to Outer world, where they will become super famous fantasy novels. Just like what happened to that Harry Potter man from across the sea when he visited Outer world and helped out that poor J. K. Rolling woman by selling her the rights to his autobiography, which she pawned off as her own work of fiction with his permission!"

"B-"

"And then after a few years of it being a best seller in Outer world it would have been made into a movie, and I'm not sure what a movie is because I've never seen one before, but I heard they're like plays but with better special effects, and I would have been played by this beautiful actress who would have actually portrayed me as graceful for once, and then I would have become a big star in both worlds, and be adored to the point where armature writers would make new stories of me and put them up in a special place where everyone would have seen them, and they'd even write me in alternative universes where-"

"BELNIKA! STOP RAMBELING ON ABOUT SUCH NONSENSE AND LISTEN TO ME, POYO!" The penguin had to cut her off, she was loosing her mind, talking about such crazy ideas, I mean honestly. A place where armature writers could post stories about their favorite characters for everyone to see? There's no such place for that kind of thing. But that was beside the point!

"Belnika I don't want you to worry, poyo. I know that we are new at this, poyo. I know that this is really scary, and I know that we are on our own, poyo, but we decided that a long time ago that we would do whatever it takes to become vassals, and Elie is right, this is what vassals do. I may not be able to do much, but I'd like to be able to take at least a few of them with me if that's what it comes down to.

Our friends have shown me what true bravery is, poyo. Elie is doing everything she can for her country. Haru and Let came to a whole new world they knew nothing about to help a friend. Musica and his gang have been defying an unjust authority for years. Julia stood up to her whole state laws system and her own family to chase down her own happiness, and Sieg, poyo… We may not know what happened to him, but we do know that he went fighting for his state like a true vassal would, poyo.

Now it's our turn to follow their example and do what we can, poyo. If we just do that, then we will be true New Elie vassals at heart, whether we were officially knighted as ones or not, poyo, and that is something that no one can take away from us!"

Belnika could only stare at her friend in awe. She had never known him to be so serious or dedicated before. Deep in her heart, she knew he was right about everything. Then she asked herself, what would her hero do?

She clutched her fists together until her palms grew sweaty. A new determination grew within her. "You're right Ruby. We have to do whatever we can. Harry Potter wouldn't give up and neither will we!"

"That's the spirit, poyo!" Ruby called out happily, glad that his friend had her new found sense of confidence brewing under the surface.

SLAM! "I found them!"

Before the duo even had the chance to turn around they knew who it was who had just barged in and because of that they were almost afraid to even look.

An enemy wizard had just located them and from the sound of it, he wasn't alone. The Duo gulped down their fear and turned to face the new enemy. They glared at the man in the doorway, ready for anything.

"You sure your ready, poyo?" Ruby called to his partner as he charged up his magic preparing for action.

Belnika just charged up her own magic. "Take as many down with us as we can!" She was ready to roll!

Just as the enemy was about to make his move, the duo had done something that they had never done before. They put their hands together and combined their magic, a move that was only practiced by two highly skilled wizards who trusted each other completely. As their fingers intertwined with one another's they swung their magic forth with all of their might, releasing a massive ball of energy at the man before them.

Clearly the man had not expected two wizards who did not give out much of a magical signature to know such a spell. Had he been prepared, he might have been able to block it, instead he was hit right in the abdomen and sent flying back into the wall behind him.

Ruby and Belnika were in pure shock after that attack. They had only read about fusing two magics before in books. This was the first time they had ever tried it out for themselves and they had no idea it was going to be that affectinve. Surely a more experienced sorcerer would have caused much more damage, but the fact that it still took the man out of commission in just one shot was amazing!

They had no time to celebrate it though. They remembered that there were more evil wizards out in the hall, and they had to strike while the oven's hot. They charged for the door, with the confidence that they could take on anybody who was out there.

The second they jumped out of the room they took their fighting stance, ready to shoot another fusion magic spell. Unfortunately, nothing ever went as they expected.

The two-rookie magic user's confidence completely shattered at the sight before them. There must have been at least 45 angry-looking wizard enemies stretched out along that hallway at least from where they could see them, they might have been more just around the corner. After what they had seen the duo do to that one wizard, they were already prepared for anything they might do. Most of them already had their magics charged up for an assault. There was no way their fusion magic could take on all of them even if their guards were down

The duo's faces paled increasingly and they did not move an inch. The entire hall was dead silent and completely unmoving. It was as if they each waited for the other side to make the first move.

"Hey, Ruby?" Belnika just barely whispered to her friend, not moving her lips more than ever so slightly.

"Yeah, poyo?" Ruby whispered back, being just as carful and quiet as she was being.

"We took out one guy. Is that enough?"

"I think that's plenty, poyo. RUUUUUUUUNNNNNNN!"

As they made a dash in the other direction, they could feel the army of evil wizards hot on their heels and the heat of magic that narrowly missed them as they whizzed by, barely missing them.

It was time to activate Holy Bell's special ability again. They needed to get out of there and fast. As they ran side by side they reached their hands out to each other, knowing that the magic would only work on them both if they were touching.

Just as the sword began to glow, the worst possible case scenario occurred. Belnika tripped causing her to let go of Ruby's hand. At the last moment, the Sword let out a blinding light and Ruby was teleported to another floor without his best friend.

Panic set in as soon as the penguin landed flat on his stomach. He had no time to care about where he was now or how much that belly flop on whatever it was he fell on hurt. He had to get back to her and fast! Who knows what those guys would do to her when they caught her!

"BELNIKA!" the little creature screamed out for his friend as if she could hear him.

"Could you get off me?" came a pained voice from underneath Ruby.

He looked down to see what exactly it was he was laying on. It was a little boy with blue hair and blue eyes, like a miniature Sieg Hart. The boy looked to be very uncomfortable with the little penguin on top of him. Like most people, he probably wasn't prepared for a penguin to just materialize out of seemingly nowhere and land on him.

"Ruby!" Came a more familiar voice.

The creature looked over his shoulder to see who it was who had called out his name. He smiled brightly to see that it was in fact the best person he could have possibly run into.

"Sieg! You're okay, poyo!" He was so happy to see his friend unharmed. It was the best finding that had happened all day.

"Ruby, how did you get here? Where is Belnika?" Sieg asked seriously as he bent down on one knee to be closer to the creature's eye level.

"I don't know, poyo! When I activated my sword's teleportation power, I accidently left her behind, poyo!" The creature cried out, suddenly remembering why he was so distressed only a few seconds ago.

"Teleportation, power? Ruby, you can teleport?" The vassal asked in excitement.

"Well sort of, poyo. I can only teleport between floors in a building, poyo."

"That little elevator magic exactly what we need. Ruby, you have to get us out of this dungeon!" Sieg demanded.

Ruby took a long look around the abysmal place they were in. He could see why they wanted to leave so badly. "Well I don't know what an elevator is but my sword, Holy Bell, can get us out of here in a jiffy, poyo!"

"We're not finished yet!" Sieg said with a newfound sense of determination. "Let's go!"

Meanwhile poor Niebel was struggling underneath Ruby who had seemed to have forgotten about him.

"Uh, seriously you can get off me now."

* * *

**Well everybody, we've had a lot of laughs this chapter, but now I'd like to talk about something serious. Everyday people are completely unprepared for random penguins materializing out of seemingly nowhere and landing on a person. This could happen to you. Remember boys and girls, it's no fun to be penguin attacked. Never let your guard down and expect the unexpected. A penguin could be just about anywhere.**

**(This message has been brought to you by the anti penguin attack organizaton of Symphonia.)**

**On that note I'd like to apologize to Haru and Elie fans. If you haven't guessed by now, they're not in this story arc. I think I've explained this before, but I want to make sure that all of the main cast gets a chance in the spot light, and unfortunately, It's not their turn. Since a lot of big things happen in this arc, I can't just skip over it. But I promise, they will have a big role to play next arc.**

**That being said I'll see you next Friday, sorry for the comic relief chapter and remember to ask yourself "WWHPD"**

**What would Harry Potter do?**

**He'd review.**


	22. Taking Back The Homeland  Part 3

**IF YOU KNOW WHO OWNS RAVE MASTER SHOUT IT OUT LOOOOOUUUUUD! I hope you didn't say my name.**

**Taking Back The Homeland Part 3

* * *

**

SLAM!

"Ooh I hope no one heard that." Belnika muttered to herself as she leaned her back against the door behind her that she just slammed shut.

The rookie sorceress had barely managed to give the other wizards the slip when the light that was given off by Ruby's sword disoriented them all. She had been traveling around with Him using that sword all day so she knew well enough to shut her eyes to the blinding light. While they were all rubbing the spots out of their vision, she made a run for it to the nearest room she could find and then locked the door behind her.

As she tried to catch her breath from that close call, she took a look around the room for the first time. Her eyes went wide and she felt as if she were about to soil herself from the sight in front of her.

It was the castle library, and it was the hugest one she had ever seen. The walls must have stretched up to 40 feet high of nothing but bookshelves, and every shelf was completely filled with books. Classic literature, first editions, informative reads, and just about every 'for dummies' book ever made was lining the walls! Giant shelves lined up so nicely all around the room. They surrounded the tables and chairs that were laid out for people sit down and read them.

Belnika could swear that as she gazed all around her, she could hear a chorus of angels sing out hallelujah in awe-inspiring voices. This must be the famous New Elie palace library that she had heard about. The one where all of the vassals came to study up on magic. All of the great magic users of the past 50 years had sat in this very room and studied from these very books. It was an easy bet that some of those magic users had written some of them too.

The girl fell to her knees. "I HAVE REACHED THE PROMISE LAND!" She screamed out, forgetting about what would happen if she wasn't absolutely quiet and she was heard. First glance at all of those books and she forgot all about the mission. She was lost in her own world.

She ran around the empty library in utter delight. Skipping and dancing around like a little schoolgirl. She looked all around her excitedly. "What to read first?"

She ran up to one bookshelf and began tarring through it looking for just about anything interesting. After peering at title after title, she only got more excited. All of them looked good. She'd take a book, read the title and then throw it over her shoulder into a pile of must-reads.

As soon as that entire shelf was empty she turned around to look at her enormous pile. Then she noticed one book in particular that wasn't in the pile. It was sitting on a wooden table with its contents wide open.

"I must have missed." She assumed as she went over to the text on the table, thinking that she had bad aim. But on further inspection, she noticed that this was a book, she had never seen before. She took a closer look, until something caught her eye.

It was a spell book and the spell she was reading was rather interesting.

"A potion that allows one to control another person?" She thought something over for a few seconds until a mischievous grin formed on her face.

"Now there's an idea…"

* * *

FLASH

In the blink of an eye, the three wizards, Sieg, Niebel, and Ruby, were all standing in the enormous foyer of New Elie castle. With blazing eyes of passion, and courage flowing strongly through their veins, they were all set and ready for the battle to come. All of them stood tall with pride as the two blue haired magic users took their hands off Ruby's shoulders and readied themselves.

"Niebel!" Sieg said in an authoritative voice. "How long until the portion controlling the rest of the vassals wears off?"

"Their water bottles are refilled every day. It will take at least 48 hours for them to even have a flicker of the memories that that disturbing concoction erased. That is unless we can make a counter potion which would cause the spell to brake on them instantly." Niebel answered.

"We can make a counter potion, poyo?" Ruby asked raising an eyebrow at his new young friend.

"You call yourself a wizard? Of course we can. Most potions have counter potions that would completely reverse any of its affect in case of an emergency. They are usually written right next to the potion's recipe in a spell book. Every wizard knows that." Niebel replied in a matter of fact tone.

Ruby fumbled around in his embarrassment at his lack of knowledge. "Oh, uh, of course I know that, poyo. I- I was just checking to make sure you knew that, poyo, and I- I almost never have to use counter potions because uh, because just about ever potion I have ever brewed has come out perfectly, so I never need one, poyo."

"Then you will need all of Niebel's help in order to make one." Sieg interjected.

"Excuse me, poyo?" Ruby asked, not sure if he was hearing correctly.

"Go to the third floor, and find the book with the recipe for the counter potion. We are going to need that if we are to free the rest of the vassals." Sieg explained. "You two must make enough of the potion for everybody."

"What will you do Sieg?" Niebel asked.

I need to find Belnika to make sure that she is safe. Who knows what the rest of the vassals will do to her if she is caught." He responded. He truly felt sick saying that. It just wasn't right. These people were his colleges, his old friends. For years they have worked together, learned together, and dedicated their lives to protecting the noble Valentine family, and now he had to fight them.

Deep down, Sieg questioned whether or not he could summon the strength to do it, what if it came down to kill or be killed? Could he kill his old friends? If he didn't go all out, would they kill him, and did he even stand a chance against some of the more senior vassals like Haja?

As tormented as he was inside, he knew that this was just one of the things that needed to be done for things to feel right around here again, and he wanted that more than anything. He swore that when he took this job, he would do whatever he needed to do for the sake of the valentine household, because that led to what is good for the country. Plus Belnika was his friend too, he could not just let her be killed, he had more experience with magic then her and because of that he had to take care of her, even if that meant he had to take out some of his older friends.

He just silently prayed that it wouldn't come to that.

"Are you sure Sieg? I mean every other vassal in the state is against us. I don't think you can take them on all alone." Niebel said in a worried tone.

"When I find Belnika, I won't be alone, now don't try to talk me out of this. I've been running around in circles in my mind about what to do, and I can't have any other excuse in my brain as to why I should turn back on this now. Now go!" He commanded.

The two young magic users gave the man one last look of concern before they did as they were told. Niebel put one hand on Ruby's shoulder as the little penguin charged up his sword. Right before the light engulfed them, sending them up to their respective floor, Niebel muttered out his final message to his college.

"Be careful Sieg!"

The blue haired wizard squinted at the light given off by Holy Bell's effect until the two were gone. It was at that moment he heard the sound of oncoming footsteps. They thundered down the giant staircase, first as a soft rumble, but as they came closer, it sounded more like a raging stampede.

Sieg knew exactly who was coming and that there would be many of them. It was his former friends turned enemy. They would be there any second and this time they probably wouldn't be so merciful as to just throw him into the dungeon.

The vassal let out a sigh of regret and aggravation. He was truly grateful that the Grand Duchess was not here to see her precious vassals this way, or what he was about to do.

"I just have to keep telling myself. Soon things will be back to normal…" He turned to his oncoming battle, set and ready with determination in his eyes as he charged up his power.

* * *

The moment they landed on the castle's third floor they didn't waste anytime. They made a quick run for it.

"Niebel, which way is it to the library from here?" Ruby asked as he moved his little flippers as fast as they could carry him.

Niebel, as a vassal knew the way around the castle quite well and knew the perfect path to get them there quickly. "It's not far from here at all. Just follow me! We have got to find that spell book with the counter potion!"

They moved as fast and as cautiously as they possibly could. They knew the situation was urgent and that was why they couldn't afford to be seen. They couldn't risk getting captured again and even if they did manage to beat back any enemy that came their way, it would still waste a lot of time, which would allow more enemies to show up and attack, so every time they came to a hallway corner or opened a door to a new room, they only poked their heads out to make certain that the coast was clear before just barging in.

"Just around this corner." Niebel whispered to the penguin. He was just about to poke his head out to see if anyone was coming their way when he found out the hard way. His breathing stopped cold when he heard the soft footsteps of someone else just around the bin.

From the sound of their footsteps, they probably already knew that the two of them were coming and had plans to jump them, but the young vassal refused to give who ever it was the satisfaction. They would attack first and get the jump on them. They had to take who ever this guy was out quickly before they were able to alert the others.

"Psst, Ruby." Niebel whispered. On the count of three, we jump out and attack this guy okay?"

You could tell by the look on Ruby's face he was beyond nervous, but he pushed it all aside and nodded his head in agreement. This had to be done, and it had to be done just right, or the consequences would be dire for the both of them.

"Okay, one…"

They got up as close to the corner as possible without showing anything to the enemy.

Two…"

The two wizards crouched down in a striking position, their magic charging up. Beads of sweat formed on their faces, but they refused to let the 'calm before the storm' get to them. They had to be perfect.

"THREE!"

They launched forward, striking forth with all of their might, and they landed a blow of magic blasts directly at the enemy's stomach. It caused said enemy to release the magic that she was building up to attack them with but it also caused a direct hit into Niebel's stomach as well. They both went flying in the opposite direction into a wall on both sides.

Ruby's mouth was open in shock at the scene before him. His friend just took a blast to the tummy! He wasn't expecting to see her, but boy was he happy she was there, and by 'she' he did not mean the boy Niebel. The enemy around the corner turned out to be none other then Belnika herself.

"Belnika, poyo!" I'm so happy to see you here poyo, and not killed by brainwashed vassals!" The little penguin squealed in his own happiness, forgetting that he needed to be quiet. He launched forward and wrapped his flippers tightly around the girl who was still currently rubbing her sore head on the spot that hit the wall.

"Are you okay, poyo?" He asked as he embraced her even tighter.

"Er. Yeah Ruby, but I don't know how long that will last if you don't back away so I can breath." She muttered out under her best friend's suffocating bare hug.

He stepped back, opting into just smiling at his friend instead of crushing her.

As Belnika got up and brushed herself off, just as she always did after getting knocked down, her eyes went wide with the realization that something was missing.

"Oh! Jeez! Where is that potion I brewed?" She franticly searched her pockets and looked all around the floor to see where she might have dropped it.

"Looking for this?"

Belnika snapped her eyes in the direction of the voice who had just said that. Niebel was holding a bottle filled with a red liquid that swished around inside. The boy had obviously not been as affected by Belnika's blast as badly as she was by his, so he managed to pick himself off the floor quicker.

"Yes! That's mine! Give it back!" Belnika shouted.

"Hey calm down and be quiet or people might hear you and come this way! I found it on the floor, all right? Now tell me who you are!" Niebel snapped back in a harsh whisper. He knew she wasn't one of the brainwashed vassals, he would have seen her before and she didn't have glowing red eyes or any bloodlust radiating off of her, but he still trusted her as much as any other stranger walking around his noblewoman's home.

"Oh right! You two haven't met yet, poyo. Niebel, I would like to introduce you to my best friend in the whole wide world, Belnika. Belnika, this is Niebel." Said Ruby.

The young vassal let his guard down slightly for this woman now that he knew she was a friend, but still kept on high alert, not for her, but for any enemy who might show up. They still had to be stealthy.

The boy tried to be polite. "It's a pleasure to meet you miss Bel-"

"EEEK! Oh my God! Not Niebel Martikee, right? Oh my gosh I read about you! You're the youngest sorcerer to ever make it as a vassal in New Elie ever! I can't believe I'm meeting you in person! You know I kinda thought you'd be taller. Can I have your autograph, please! Please! Pretty please!"

"I know who I am!" Niebel raised his voice to the loud woman before him, silently praying no one had heard her, but deep inside he knew he wasn't kidding anybody. Half the state probably heard that girl shriek.

"We don't have time!" The boy yelled as he tossed the bottle of red liquid to the violet haired woman, which she narrowly caught. "We have to get moving now! The enemy probably knows where to look for us now."

After inspecting her bottle to see if it was damaged or not and feeling satisfied with the result she turned a raised eyebrow towards Niebel. "How would they know that?"

By the time she got her question out, the boy and the penguin were already on the run.

"Hey guys wait up!" It was difficult to believe that she was the eldest of the three of them.

"We have no time to dawdle!" Niebel snapped. "We have to get to the library and start looking for the right book, before we're found out!"

Belnika ran after the two of them in an attempt to catch up. "Wait! I have an idea about how to beat the bad guys!" She yelled out to stop them.

Niebel slowed his pace and gave the sorceress a skeptical look over his shoulder. "What?"

Ruby was much more believing. "You do, poyo?"

"Yes but I need you guys to help me pull this plan off!" She replied.

"What? No! We don't have time for this. Sieg is expecting us to follow the plan that we just came up with earlier!" Niebel refused. He wasn't going to waste anytime on a plan thrown together by some rookie wizard who probably didn't even know what she was doing. He was barely accepting of Ruby tagging along. Those vassals were like family to him, and he couldn't let them down. They needed rescuing!

"Oh, come on, Niebel, poyo! At least hear her out. I've been hanging out with this woman for a long time, and her plans are usually pretty good, poyo. " The clueless penguin replied, putting his faith in his best friend before his memories of her failures.

"Besides, poyo, if the New Elie castle library is as big as they say it is, then it'll take us forever to find that recipe." Ruby pointed out, with Belnika nodding her head feverishly in agreement. She had been to the library, so she knew exactly how true that statement was.

Niebel let out a sigh of defeat. It was two against one. They had him out voted and he knew he needed them. He couldn't do this alone. "Okay. What's your plan?"

The young woman smiled at the tiny blue haired vassal. "Okay first thing's first. Where is the kitchen?"

"Great plan! I love it, poyo!" Ruby yelled with glee. He was starving, and everyone knows wizards operate better when they have full tummies.

"There's more." She added.

This only got the little penguin more excited.

* * *

"Okay, one… Two… Three… Push!" They three wizards struggled as much as they possibly could to push over the giant cauldron. It was extremely heavy, and it was large enough to come up to Belnika's chest. It took the might of all three magic users to get the thing to tip even slightly. Finally, through the power of teamwork, they had managed to knock the cauldron over, sending it's contents spilling all over the kitchen floor in a huge messy puddle.

"I've got to admit. This was a great idea to destroy any remains of the old brainwashing potion so that it can't be used again. Way to use your head." Niebel complemented Belnika. He didn't think she could be useful at first, but this stunt really proved him wrong.

"Yeah, poyo! Now all we have to do is make the anti potion for everyone, before they brew up a new brainwashing potion, poyo!" Ruby cheered.

What are you guys talking about? I thought we just dumped out normal fruit punch. There was a potion in that?" Belnika looked at them befuddled.

Ruby and Niebel stared at the woman in shock with their mouths wide open in surprise. "Y-you mean you didn't know? Then why did you suggest we get rid of that cauldron's contents?" Niebel asked.

"Well I made this." She held out the same potion from earlier. "I found this book in the library that was a recipe for brainwashing people. My plan was to make it so I could slip it to them in their drinks and take control of the crazy wizards in this place and make them fight on our side. Are you saying that they were already under that spell before we even got here?" She asked. That would explain why that book was left out. Somebody recently used it.

"You're kidding me!" Niebel yelled. "Let me see that!"

He snatched the bottle right out of the girl's hands. He took a close inspection of it. "How come it's not like the potion that we just dumped out?" He asked raising an eyebrow, refusing to take his eyes off it, until he knew the answer.

"That's because there is less of it, poyo." Ruby pointed out.

"Not that!" Niebel snapped at him. The contents of the bottle were a much lighter shade of red than the other potion. It smelled different as well, now that he got a good whiff of it when he uncorked the bottle.

"I don't know why it would be different. I followed the potion's recipe exactly as the book instructed me to do. I followed it to a tee."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It was an easy recipe to follow, everything was in smaller print but it was all in bold." She replied.

Niebel's eyes went wide and hope began to bubble within him. "Belnika… you know usually the potion recipe is made in big print and the anti potion to counteract its affects in case of an emergency is printed smaller and in bold case."

"AW!" Cried the girl in frustration as she stamped her feet and began to pace around the kitchen. "Why does this always happen? Why can't anything I do go the way I plan it to?"

"Bel-"

"I mean, I know I never really owned an actual potion book before or any magic book for that matter that contained anything other than the basics, but still, I should know better than to-"

"No, Belnika this is a good thing!" Niebel corrected her. "This is the exact potion we need!"

"Oh…" She stopped her rant. "Just like I planed."

"Now the trick is to find a way to share this amongst all of the vassals, poyo." Ruby declared happily.

A silence fell over the three for a moment. Now that was the million-dollar question. How were they going to give all of those vassals that one potion? It's not like they would be so willing as to just drink whatever they were given.

Niebel's eyes went wide as a metaphorical light bulb flickered on in his head. "I've got it! Ruby do you think you can teleport us to the roof?"

Ruby smiled brightly at that easy request. "Not only can I do it, poyo, but I'll… I'll…" He wracked his brain for something witty to say.

"I'll do it right now, poyo!"

While Ruby unsheathed his sword again, his two human friends each held on to one of his shoulders and one blinding flash later, they were standing on the roof of the castle.

Belnika looked off the edge and gulped, suddenly remembering that she had a problem with heights. "Uh… S-so what are we doing up here? W-what's the plan?"

Niebel walked over to a strange metal box that was attached to the castle roof. He took off the top of the box, revealing a dark hole that stretched on for an un-measurable amount of distance that no one could see thanks to the blackness.

"This is called a ventilation system. It was an idea the we came up with when we sent people to explore Outer world."

Belnika looked over the boy's shoulder down the black hole and a shiver went down her spine. "We aren't seriously going down there are we?"

She really didn't think they were, for one thing that hole looked extremely small and cramped. She questioned how well she would fit, but she had no idea what a 'ventilation system' was for and she had no idea what Niebel's plan was, so she wanted to be certain. The only thing worse than falling off of a seven-story castle roof, was falling through a tiny black hole. At least when she fell off the building she could see what was waiting for her at the bottom.

"No. The vent system was invented to help heat the palace in the coldest of winter days and cool it in the hottest of summer days. You see this metal box leads to a small tunnel that goes through the entire palace with small openings to the tunnel in each room. During hot days a sorcerer comes up here and casts a freezing winds spell that ravages the insides of the tunnel and comes out through the small openings. On cold winter days a sorcerer comes up here to cast a sweltering heat spell, that heats up the place." Niebel explained

"Oh, poyo." Ruby complied in impressed understanding. "Those Outer worlders are pretty smart, poyo."

"Wait, Outer world doesn't have magic. How does the ventilation system work there?" Belnika asked.

"I don't know, but that's not the point and we're getting off topic, " Niebel snapped loosing patience.

"Listen I bet we can conjure up a spell of our own, but instead of spreading heat or spreading the cold, we can spread the potion to every room in the palace and snap the vassal's out of the spell their under." Niebel explained.

The two rookie wizards gasped in excitement before they started cheering. "We wouldn't have to personally fight them anymore. They'd be free poyo!"

Listen I don't know if I can do this on my own. I'm going to need your help to take what little potion we have and spread it out over the entire palace." Niebel explained.

The duo gladly nodded their heads yes in compliance with the tiny vassal. They were ready.

Carefully Niebel uncorked the bottle of anti potion, then using all of their focus, the three magic users held up their hands (and flippers) around the bottle. As if to defy gravity itself the contents of the bottle leaked out into the air. Every last drop of liquid followed their every motion, every twitch of their fingers.

Belnika beamed in excitement. "It's working! It's working!"

"Concentrate!" Niebel snapped, not taking his eyes off of the floating liquid.

"Sorry." She went right back to being quiet so that everyone could continue their focus.

As soon as the anti potion was hovering directly above the vent's opening, it began to move as if it was a tiny whirlpool. As the three of them carefully moved their hands the whirlpool grew larger and larger, until it appeared as though there was 30 times more potion than there was only a few moments ago.

The three took a slight step back. They had to crane their necks to see the top of the now enormous cyclone they had created, while the bottom of the cyclone was leaking into the vent in such small drops it appeared as just simple mist that flowed through the long dark tunnels until they eventually poured out into the rooms all over the palace.

* * *

Sieg panted heavily as he used what little strength he had left to stand. He bent over, his hands on his knees, trying to settle down his out of control heartbeat. As a bead of sweat rolled down his face he looked at the scene all around him. His comrades were sprawled out all over the floor of the Castle foyer; some were lying on the stairs. Those that were still conscious didn't have the energy to move. They were all broken and beaten badly, but no one was dead or in a life threatening position.

Although Sieg knew it was a good thing that he had been able to beat them all, a feeling of guilt was above all else in his mind. These people were his friends, his allies. How could he have done this to them?

He closed his eyes too sick with what he was seeing to be able to stand the sight any longer. That was when he felt something on his skin. It was like a soft moist wind that blew in from seemingly nowhere. He touched his now wet face in curiosity; opening his eyes he found that it was red water. It was like it was raining down a red mist from the ceiling.

Raising an eyebrow, he smelled his wet fingers. This could be a trap. There were more vassals somewhere in the castle he knew it. Someone could be plotting something.

"Sieg! Hey Sieg, check it out!"

The blue haired vassal turned in the direction he heard his name being called. Belnika, Ruby, and Niebel came running down the stairs with very happy and very excited looks on their faces.

"Mission accomplished, Sieg Hart!" Niebel tried to give him a professional salute as a comrade, but he just could not keep the grin that spread from cheek to cheek off.

"Belnika brewed up a potion to brainwash everybody because she didn't know that they were already under a spell, poyo, but it really turned out to be an anti potion to save everybody, poyo, and then we learned what a ventilation system is, poyo, and then we combined our magic to make a cyclone that went whoosh right down the tunnel, poyo, and then-"

"Ruby, breathe in between your words. You're talking so fast no one can understand you." Belnika advised.

"The point is we managed to free everybody from their spell. They should all go back to normal, um… as soon as most of them… wake… up?" She looked all around the foyer noticing a lot of unconscious bodies. "Wow you really don't mess around do you?"

"So… So that's it?" Sieg asked. The hope inside of him began to bubble up. "Everyone is back to normal? Home can go back to normal?"

"They sure can- hey where are you going?"

Sieg made a run for it strait up the stairs before Belnika even got a chance to finish her sentence.

"I need to go make a phone call! I'll be in the office on the second floor!" He called out to her not bothering to look back.

Belnika couldn't help but sulk a little. He better not be talking about the office on the second floor where Ruby and her had gotten teleported to when they had made up the plan to find a phone. It would completely piss her off if there was a phone there the whole time and she just didn't see it.

* * *

**Tada! And they all lived happily ever after. The End What you're saying this isn't the end? But all of the Vassals are free and, oh that's right the chapter title says part 3 not end part. But what could possible happen next chapter? Well I suppose you just have to wait around for next Friday for the conclusion of 'Taking Back The Homeland' then won't you?**

**To everyone who has reviewed or plans to review, I take my hat off to you. You just can't see it because you are reading this and not watching me do it.**

**Bye bye!**


	23. Taking Back The Homeland  End Part

**Who's the fat cat who owns Rave Master? (Insert a chorus of sassy back up singers here to answer me) Hiro Mashima!**

**Taking Back The Home Land End Part.

* * *

**

Sieg was so excited about winning back his home he had completely forgotten that he was exhausted only a few minutes ago. It was like he had just gotten a second wind.

He ran through the hallways until he came upon the room he was looking for. (And yes it was the office Belnika and Ruby were in before when they came up with the idea to find a phone.)

He went strait to the desk and found an old phone with a curly cord sticking out the back connecting the hook and receiver together. Franticly he picked up the phone and dialed the numbers 2-3-4. He was so glad that not too many people had phones in Inner world or else there would be a lot more numbers to remember, like in Outer world.

He waited anxiously for someone to pick up. Each ring seemed to last a hundred years. Maybe because he had such good news and he wanted so badly to share it.

The number he dialed was the capitol's palace where the king lived, but it was not the king he wanted so badly to speak to at the moment. He knew that it would probably be another day or so before The Grand Duchess and her friends had made it to the king's palace, but he figured he might as well give it a shot. Maybe they got there early? Either way he was just so excited to tell her grace that home was secured. He had taken it back. She would be even more thrilled than he was.

After the fifth ring someone picked up. It must have been a secretary. The woman on the end asked politely. "Hello. You have reached king Malakia Glory's castle. Would you please state your name and business?"

Sieg opened his mouth to say something when suddenly-

WHAM!

Something hard connected with his back and he was knocked half way across the room and sent rolling onto his side. Pain exploded in his body. His guard was down so he was left completely unprotected by the attack. What had hit him?

Slowly Sieg got up, ignoring the pain from the impact. He turned his head around and his eyes went wide with shock. It couldn't be. Haja, his friend, mentor, and fellow New Elie vassal was the only one standing there. He glared at Sieg with such intensity, it could have burned hole into him and he didn't take his eyes off him even as he hung up the phone.

Oh no, Sieg thought to himself. Did Haja not get any of the anti potion? Was he still under the spell? This was very bad. Sieg didn't think he could beat Haja. He was the greatest of all the New Elie vassals.

Sieg put his hands up in a way of showing he was not looking for a fight. "Haja, you have to listen to me. You are under a spell. We are all out of the anti-potion to free you for now, but if we just wait calmly then it'll just ware off on its own…"

He waited for some sort of compliance from the older vassal, some way of showing that he understood. After a moment of silence, Haja remained completely unmoving. He showed no sign of fighting or obliging. Sieg hoped that was a good sign. He tried again.

"I am not your enemy. I don't want to fight you…"

"Sieg…" Haja finally spoke up. Sieg perked up his ears and waited for what he hoped was a good answer out of him. What he got instead was something he had never seen coming in a thousand years.

"… Do my eyes glow red like the others?"

Sieg's eyes went wide. He was so completely stunned he could do nothing when Haja threw another ball of hot magic strait at him. Sieg was blown back instantly. He toppled over the furniture set on the other side of the room and landed right into the wall, making an indent. All of the wind was knocked out of him and it took all he had to find his Barings. After a few moments, he could breathe again.

While the poor man was on the floor trying to take in air, Haja walked over to him and stood over his shaking, pained form in disgust.

"I should never have taught you so well. I had no idea it would come back to ruin everything."

"I… gasp, gasp… Don't understand… gasp, gasp… You aren't under the… gasp… spell?" Sieg managed to get out.

"You fool. Who do you think slipped the other vassals the potion in the first place?" He remarked.

No. Sieg refused to believe it. Out of all the people in the entire world Haja was the last person to stage a betrayal. He couldn't be behind all of this!

"No Haja you're the most loyal of all the vassals, the oldest and most experienced of all of us! You taught me how to be one! When her ladyship was to be taken into hiding you were the first to volunteer to go with her and protect her!"

"And if you hadn't gotten in the way, she would be long gone by now and this whole mess could have been avoided. I never thought my down fall would be the fact that no one thinks I'm good with kids…" He stated, disgust dripped off of every syllable.

Sieg looked up at the man he had called friend and teacher as if to plead with him. He searched franticly in those cold merciless eyes for any sign of the man he thought he was.

"But, why? I don't understand." Sieg could only ask.

"… I was a Raregroovian noble." He answered monotone.

Sieg was too stunned to speak, so Haja went right on with his explanation.

"Back when Raregroove was the greatest civilization in the entire world I was known as Grand Count Haja, who ruled this state that we now know as 'New Elie'. When this atrocious country destroyed us I , along with many other Raregroovian nobles were left with no power. You worthless creatures stripped me of all of it!

I was left a wonderer, with no place to go, until that is I ended up on the doorstep of Grand Duke Valentine. He saw me and he saw what he could do with my magic, not knowing who I was, he took pity upon me and made me a vassal.

Me! A useless VASSAL? I was supposed to serve and protect THEM? The people who owned what I should rightfully own? I would not have it! Everyday I stomached all I possibly could until it was the right time to take everything back."

"That can't be true! You told me that the Valentine family rescued you! They took you in! Gave you a home and a job when no one else gave you a second glace! There is no way you would ever consider the opportunity of being a vassal useless! You always made me believe it was the greatest honor we could bring to ourselves and to our country! Those were your exact words!" Sieg screamed in his denial.

"Think about it Sieg Hart. I know your smart enough to put it together. I am a top ranked vassal, good enough to rule in the Valentine name when they cannot. I have ways of getting access to Outer world. To send my people there, or have them bring something back to me, like a gun for example."

At those words Sieg's heart almost gave out. "Y-you … Killed the G-gran-"

"I am at the height of my profession. No matter what I do now, I will never get any better than ruling the state in those worthless pieces of humanity's name, so I took advantage of that responsibility. Besides those sad excuses for nobles were annoying and naïve idiots and there was no way I was going to follow the command of that embarrassingly stupid spawn of theirs for the rest of my life."

Sieg was in complete shock.

"Come now my boy. I taught you everything you know, but I suppose I was just grossly overestimating you. You let your feelings get in the way of your own logic. Haven't I always taught you to be more professional than that? You could have seen this coming.

Sieg just couldn't take it! He felt like such an idiot. This very man who he had more respect for than anyone else was really trying to end everything for everyone he cared about!

Memories of him just starting out as a teenager and Haja showing him some amazing skills flashed before his eyes. Sieg remembered that every time he learned a new spell, he would show Haja immediately in hopes he would be proud of him. He remembered the celebration that was held on the day of Lady Elie's birth when Sieg Hart was just a bright eyed 15 year old. Haja had explained his duties for the little baby.

Haja was always a great source of guidance for the wizard. Whenever he was truly stuck with what to do in his duties as a vassal, Sieg would just ask himself 'what would Haja do?' But now, knowing that all of that was just an act from the beginning. He didn't mean any of his preaching's about the honor that vassals carry. He hated the family that they had sworn to serve and protect. Everything that Sieg had ever known about the man he held in such high regards was just a lie that was falling down around him.

While Sieg was in his shocked state of mind, Haja was taking advantage. He held up a ball of magic and prepared his attack. "Since you are the only one to know and I can't have you go off and tell anyone, I think you know what comes next, or can you not piece that together either?"

Sieg was off in his own world. He could not answer so Haja went right on speaking in his deadpan, uncaring deep voice.

"I must salvage what is left of my plan. This is good bye old pupil."

And just as Haja's merciless attack was about o fallow through, Sieg snapped back to reality just in time to roll out of the way. Maybe the sudden urgentness of the situation just dawned upon him, but his instincts kicked in and he was immediately put in survival mode. It was possible that he was running on instincts alone because a large part of him was still in shock. It was as if he was watching himself move but was in no way controlling the actions. Meanwhile another part of him deep inside was screaming at him, 'Wake up! Wake up! You can't beat him like this!'

But did he want to beat him? If there was ever a fight Sieg didn't want to face in his entire life, it was this one. He didn't know if he had it in him to attack his old teacher, let alone survive in a fight going full out against him. Haja had taught him nearly everything! Was there anything that Sieg could even do to land a blow?

The answer came to him. Yes, there was. The move that he had just used to beat back his fellow vassals who were under the wicked man's control. It was something that he had read in a book once and practiced while he was bored one day in Outer world. That was his only hope. If he could only snap out of it!

"You can't dodge around forever boy!" Haja yelled out as he charged at the blue haired man with speed much greater than a regular man his age. Time after time, Haja pelted him with various forms of magic, fire, lightning, even ice. Sieg did his best to dodge the immense forms of magic that came at him, but many of them had landed their mark, sending waves of pain and agony surging through the shocked wizard's entire body. Haja was old, but in no way was out of practice. He was just as swift and powerful as a young man in his prime. It was no wonder why he was considered the strongest vassal in New Elie.

SLAM!

Sieg was thrown into the wall so hard he actually crashed through it into another room! The furniture and decorations of the two rooms were both in utter ruin.

"It appears as though you have given up." Haja commented as he stood over Sieg's unmoving body. The blue haired wizard was in such pain. Bruises and scrapes littered his swollen body. It took him so long to get over the injuries he sustained in Outer world but from the look in Haja's cold evil eyes, he would not be healing from this one.

The truth was Sieg was just fine with that. He was in such pain; he would rather die than move. He couldn't bare it. Everything he ever knew was a lie. What did he have anymore?

"In my entire life, I never understood why you were so interested in becoming a great vassal. Servants, and underlings for those who are truly great are all they are. How any one could take such pride in such a thing is beyond me."

Sieg could vaguely hear Haja's voice speak to him in his dazed state of mind. Every word was like another grain of salt in his wounds. How he wished it would all just stop.

"Open your eyes Sieg Hart! I wasn't to personally witness the light leave your irises as you exit this world." Haja commanded.

If that was what it would take for all of this pain to end, Sieg would oblige to his last order. Using all of the strength he could muster, Sieg twitched his eyes open.

It was so bright! He needed to adjust to the light, but when his eyes came into focus, it wasn't his former mentor he had seen, but a sight completely different and unexpected.

When thrown into the wall, and sent flying into the next room, Sieg had landed right below another wall completely covered in framed pictures. He stared up at the wall in wonder. They were pictures of familiar faces and not so familiar.

Vassals. Some from the far off past, long before he was even born, some were of those he knew well, but looked much younger. Some of the newer ones were photographs; some were of etchings, or beautiful paintings. The very old ones were faded, and some had the paint chipped slightly.

Some of the pictures were very formal with the people they portrayed standing strait and tall, others were taken with the people acting silly, with smiles all over. In some photographs it looked as those the people they portrayed were even looking as if they did not know their picture was being taken He could see little Niebel smiling modestly on the day of his knighting. He even saw himself with Hilde and Flicka as teenagers one summer in casual dress.

Then he noticed a few pictures in particular that were different from the rest. One was a photo of the valentine family. The Grand Duke and Duchess, and Even Lady Elie when she was only four years old smiling at the camera while she curtsied in her little dress.

That was when it hit Sieg. This wall, just like many families was a collection of memories. People and times that they held dear. There was nothing formal about it. It was the kind of thing one would find in a normal peasants home, or even an outer world family home.

The Valentine family cared about their vassals so much, they adorned their faces on their walls just as they would a family members or friends. They loved them more that just servants, and it wasn't just them. Every person on that wall considered him a friend. They each were special to him in their own way.

The air swiftly moved around him and he could feel something about to come down on him. Vaguely Sieg could hear Haja speak out an incantation.

BAM!

At the last second, so fast that there was no way even Haja could see it coming, Sieg materialized a sword out of thin air and used it to block the blast of magic that came at him.

Haja's eyes widened at the sudden Perry. He had no idea that Sieg had anything left inside of him.

As Sieg staggered to his feet, he felt something inside of him break. It was the mental barrier that prevented him from seeing the truth until now. He had people who cared about him and counted on him, friends who needed him. If he were to give up and die now he would be letting them all down. He couldn't do that to the people who cared about him.

"I just realized…"Sieg said. Miraculously he was gaining more and more strength with each passing minute. His cuts slowly healed and his bruises faded. It was all connected to the sword he materialized. It glowed brightly as his magic rose to levels even more powerful than before. Haja stared dumbfounded at the man, who only a minute ago was on the floor ready to die,

"You're wrong about Vassals. We are not worthless servants. We are honored soldiers, and we are important people. Not just to the family we protect, but to everyone we have ever reached out to, directly and indirectly."

He glared at the traitor, standing ready with his sword pointed in his direction. Now he was ready. "I must do my duty to those people. I'll give you one chance to surrender. Take it now."

Getting over the initial shock Haja sent that glare right back at Sieg Hart as he charged up his own power.

"Get over yourself." Was his reply.

Because wizards were so used to fighting each other with magic, most of them were not so good with close combat fights, so an expert with a sword was a foe to be reckoned with. Now Sieg was much better with a sword than most of his fellow wizards, but he was still far from an expert. Haja was not worried the least bit.

BLAST!

Haja sent a magic blast of epic proportions his way. It was obvious that Sieg was carrying no ordinary weapon and as most people know, only a normal metal blade can stop a magician. This would destroy Sieg no problem, however Sieg showed no signs of worry.

He swung his blade at the ball of magic, like a bat to a baseball, but the second it made contact, the magic almost instantaneously dissipated, and Sieg was left looking even stronger as a result.

While Haja was left to stare, Sieg smiled. He charged at Haja with full force and struck the old man right through the heart! After that he took the blade out and slashed him again and again and AGAIN! By the time it was over, Haja was lying on the floor, motionless, with Sieg staring at the man with an unreadable expression.

"Sieg!" Niebel shouted as he came running in his direction. His swift footsteps pounded against the floor as he drew closer, excitedly. It figures that he would come at this moment of all moments.

"Sieg everyone's coming to! Their all back to their old selves! They-" The 13 year old came to a slow halt as he neared the destruction caused by the clash between the two great wizards.

The boy walked around the rubble, stepping over broken pieces of debris until he came to a rather large hole in the wall. When he walked through it, he felt completely blown back by the sight before him. Sieg standing over Haja's unmoving form with a blade in hand.

When Sieg noticed the shocked boy, his own eyes went wide. "This isn't what it looks like!"

"Haja!" Niebel screamed as he dashed over toward his fallen comrade, completely unaware, of the old man's treachery.

"No Niebel! Don't go near him! He's not-"

The very moment Niebel was close enough Haja"s hand shot out and grasped his wrist hard enough to hurt the unsuspecting boy. He didn't have even a drop of blood on him. Niebel was caught completely off guard by the violent grip on him, but then again, this entire scenario didn't make any sense.

"What… Did you do to me? … Why do I feel … so weak.?..." Haja managed to get out in his weakened state. It took all of his energy to hold the confused boy still.

"This is not a normal sword." Explained Sieg. "It absorbs the magic of all of the wizards I have recently defeated I slash and then adds it to my own. It was why I could heal so quickly."

Slowly Sieg proceeded to move forward toward the former vassal and Haja began to get very nervous.

"Stay back!" He yelled in a desperate tone. "Take another step and I'll kill this boy! I swear!"

Sieg did not react to the threat at all. Haja was much too weak to do anything. He knew, he just absorbed all his power.

"No, it's not a bluff! I'll kill you two! I'll find a way to pin this whole thing on you! Then I take over this state again! Those worthless New Elie vassals will be loyal to me!"

"No. I don't think we will." Came a voice from right behind the helpless old man. He froze instantly in shock and dismay. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was. He could sense them all.

Standing there were all 45 New Elie vassals, plus Belnika and Ruby. There was a huge line of them stretching from the hole in the wall that was made in the fight, and went right out the door into the hallways, with a few of them standing on their toes to look over the shoulder of the one in front of them. Many of them were still a little weak from Sieg's draining sword, but there were plenty of them to take out one weak old traitor.

Belnika snickered at Haja's state, inwardly she even felt a little embarrassed for him, but mostly she was glad this entire mess was over.

"You're busted~" She sang out happily.

"Yeah, poyo!" Ruby added. "Who's the worthless New Elie vassal now, poyo?"

* * *

As Haja was being dragged off to the dungeon, the rest of the vassals did their best to clean up the mess that was left over from all the fighting. The maids and butlers who worked there would need to be rehired once the Grand Duchess was home safely. Which probably wouldn't be too long from now.

"So New Elie is free, her ladyship is safe, the Grand Duke and Duchess's death's have been solved and avenged, Sieg defeated the big bad guy, and Hopefully we'll have a contractor in here by next week to fix the castle. Looks like it's nothing but happily ever after from here on out!" Flicka sang out as she swept up the floor with a broom.

"It wasn't just Sieg." Niebel corrected as he held the waste pan for her to sweep the rubble into. "You heard what he said. When he absorbed all that power, it was like all of us were fighting too. We all freed our state together!"

"Ha ha. Hey it's what vassals do." Hilde laughed as she carried a trash bag away.

"Uh, hello."

"Yeah, what about us, poyo?" Asked Ruby and Belnika.

"Why don't you get to cleaning, great heroes?" Niebel said to the two rookie wizards who weren't doing anything but bragging.

"Tee, Hee! Well technically were not vassals yet, so we don't live here. We don't have to clean, but tell you what. We both can clean up after our own knighting ceremony." Belnika smiled. She and Ruby were practically dancing on air. Their dream was coming true. The next time Elie was here, she'd be formally giving them the titles they've been dreaming about since they were little.

"Heck yeah, poyo!" Ruby cheered. "But it's weird, poyo. I can't help but feel there's something we forgot."

* * *

"Hello!... Hellooooo! Will somebody let me out of here?" Griff called out, stilled chained to the wall.

* * *

Sieg sat down in a comfy chair. Because of all that he had done that day, the others let him relax while they cleaned up. Finally he was back in his old home. The threat was defeated. It was finally over.

He held an old picture that had fallen off the wall of the grand Duchess as a little girl in one hand. In his other hand he held a telephone. He spoke into the receiver, relaying all that had happened to the one on the other end. The threat may be gone, but he still had some work to do.

"Yes…. Yes…. Thank you, your majesty." Then something very important entered his brain. There was some other important information that needed to be relayed to him.

"Sire there is one more thing I must speak to you about. There is one boy traveling with the Grand Duchess Valentine at the moment, and there is a possibility he might be…."

* * *

**Heh that chapter was so much like the one's in the actual series. Someone is beaten so badly, they suddenly remember what they're fighting for, and all of a sudden they make a come back.**

**Well, The End…. No it's not. Come on you know me better than that. There is still a lot more unanswered questions out there that need a good explanation to and next Friday there is a whole new story arc starting up.**

**My lovely readers I will see you at the capitol, so remember to bring your reviews!**

**Tootles!**


	24. Capitol Ideas

**Capitol Ideas**

**Once upon a time there once was a fan fiction writer. She didn't own Rave Master.**

Symphonia was one of the largest countries on one of the largest continents in all of Inner world. It stretched from the just under the equator and kept going south until it began to get cold. It contained many geographical climates and a wide diversity of ethnicities as well as a very powerful government and economy that was envy all over the world.

The most Southern state in Symphonia was New Elie. It sometimes got very cold there and it was not uncommon to get more than a few feet of snow in the winter. It did get pretty warm in the summer months and snow didn't cover the ground all year round but if it ever got to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, it would be considered a heat wave there. This state is known far and wide for being the home of some of the most skilled magic users known all over the world.

Just to the north of New Elie was Makai. It was an extremely mountainous state that some considered unlivable to anybody but dragons because they can stand the constant high altitudes and travel for them is not hard. They say the soldiers that are raised and trained here are the Symphonian military's pride and joy.

North of Makai is the very peaceful and nature filled Green state. It has more forest regions than any other Symphonian state, with the second most being New Elie. It can get very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter but most of the year it is very mild.

The northern most State in Symphonia is Mildest. It never snows there and temperatures are almost tropical. It is the smallest state land-wise, but they also control most of the IIma Sea, which is also considered a very important piece of Symphonian territory, not only because the sea is great for trade but also the beach is a huge tourist attraction.

Southeast of Mildesta is Raybarrier. This state is mostly desert with almost constant scorching temperatures. The only source of water (besides the few oasis that are scattered around the desert) in the entire state comes from the Aquapalace River that flows directly through it, so the only livable areas in Raybarrier are those that are near the river or close to an oasis.

Finally, south of Raybarrier and north west of New Elie is Ribeyla. It contains mostly farmlands and pastures with temperatures that are mild and can vary between freezing or scorching depending on the season. Ribeyla grows most of Symphonia's crops. It is also know for being the second biggest producer of Symphonian army soldiers and experiences a harmless rivalry between Makai on that subject.

All six Symphonian states have something to offer the country as a whole and that is why even though many of the laws and customs vary between them, they all respect and work together.

There is one city in Symphonia that does not specifically belong to any state. Some even go so far as to call it the seventh state, but what makes it stand out the most is that it has no Noble running it. This city, smack dab in the middle of the country and borders every other state. It does not need a noble because it is there that the Symphonian king lives.

Not only does the king run the entire capitol, but also he is in charge of every noble in the entire kingdom. All important decisions that any of the six Symphonian noble family's make, must be run by him, and it was for that very reason why Haru, and his friends were all headed for the capitol. They had so much to discuss with him that could only be done in person.

Currently they were all walking down the road to the Capitol. They had been walking for a few days now, but they had managed to keep themselves preoccupied during the long trip. They would often discuss the differences between Outer world and Inner world.

"So your telling me, that you just twist a knob and the water just runs continually until you twist it back to where it was? And there is no pumping or anything?" Musica asked as Haru was once again explaining the wonders of Outer world modern technology.

"No, it's a faucet. You can even control the temperature and the water pressure." Haru said.

"Yeah it's really cool! In Outer world I had one of those in the bathrooms and the kitchen." Elie chimed in. She held her dog Plue in her arms tightly as she walked.

"Man that is so lucky. My house is so old fashion. We don't even have an indoor water pump by the sink. We have a well in our backyard and if you want water you have to go out there and fetch it. It's such a pain. Especially when it's cold outside." Julia remarked, her arms crossed in annoyance just thinking about it.

Let sighed at the conversation topic. "I'm missing home more and more."

Let was so busy sulking as usual; he didn't even notice that he walked right into a stranger.

"Hey watch where you're going!" The stranger said before he walked away, back to where he was going.

"Sorry." Let muttered out. It was then he noticed another person walk by that he didn't know and then two more. That's when it hit him. He was no longer walking along a dirt road. He was staring strait into the entrance to a busy city street.

"Hey Let, come see this!" Elie called out.

The teenage dragon race male made his way over to where his friends were standing. They were all looking up at a large sign that was hanging over the entrance to the busy street. Let looked up to see what exactly it was that held his friend's attention.

His smile matched all of theirs when his eyes scanned the writing on the sign. It read in big beautiful letters 'Welcome to Symphonia capitol City.'

Elie's smile spread from cheek to cheek. She bent down to place her little dog on the ground and yelled out "We did it!"

Even Haru jumped up in his own joy and Julia just couldn't help but yell out, "Bitchen, yeah! Took us long enough!"

After all that they had been through, after all their hard work. They were finally here. Just a little ways away from being at his majesty's doorstep. They were practically home free, and they were loving it, and for once in their lives they just couldn't bring themselves to care that there were a bunch of people who stopped to stare at them for their strange celebratory antics.

Still their smiles never faded as they entered the city. It was somewhat similar to the cities back in Outer world, not that Haru had been to many cities in his life. He normally stayed near his small hometown, but when Let was younger he used to live in Chicago.

Of coarse the buildings in Outer world were much taller while the tallest one's here never reached past three stories and all of the ones here all had a much more old fashion European style to them, but everywhere people were hustling and bustling. They each had places to go and often they paid no mind to the many various people they passed by on the street, even if some of them weren't human, but a human-like creature who wore clothes and spoke, just like Ruby, they just passed by like it was a normal day, and whatever they were doing or where they were going was much more interesting to them.

Some of the tall buildings had beautiful murals painted on them, like the ones someone would see in a picture book of Philadelphia. The stores that lined the street would hang banners to help them advertise, just like billboards, and even on the sidewalk street performers would sit and play an instrument or perform a trick for some money, like you would see in New York or Boston. The capitol of Symphonia was such a beautiful city that seemed to incorporate a mixture of modern day Outer world activity and old medieval European tastes in such a clean, colorful way.

"Man, would you look at this place." Haru exclaimed as he took in the scenery.

"I haven't been here in forever. I forgot how beautiful this city is!" Elie added. Even Julia let out a whistle of amazement and Let found that he couldn't take his eyes off the view around him. Plue looked all around him but other than making his usual "puun" noises, he showed no real excitement.

To Musica, if you've seen one city, you've seen them all, just big overpopulated places, and at the moment he was getting a little embarrassed at how much he and his friends looked like a bunch of dumb tourists. "Yeah, it's great, but let's not forget why we're here, kiddies. We're on a mission, remember?"

"Musica's right." Let replied. "We can take in the sights later, right now we have to meet with the king ASAP."

"Well at least it won't be hard finding our way!" Haru pointed out.

He stuck his index finger out directly towards the titanic-sized palace that stuck out like a sore thumb. It was so huge it could probably be seen by any place in the entire city, even though at the moment it looked as though it was at least 20 blocks away from where they were standing. It towered over all the little three story buildings as if they were just dollhouses. But considering every mile they had to go to get there, 20 blocks seemed like nothing to the group of friends.

Maybe they truly would get lucky and the rest of their journey would be a cakewalk. From where they were standing, what else could possibly go wrong?

After about 30 minutes of walking, (partly getting lost along the way.) the group of friends made it to the steps of the palace. The staircase alone had to be 25 steps up and over 40 feet wide, with beautiful fountains that adorned each side. Rich tourists would stand on the step and take pictures with their fancy foreign Outer World cameras. The team ignored them as the climbed their way to the top.

At the top two tall armored guards, each with their own battle-axes stood in front of a huge 25-foot tall wooden door that led inside.

Haru tried to ignore them as he reached for the gold door knob "Scuse us." He muttered casually.

The two guards lowered their axes to block his way before the silver haired boy could even get one foot through. "And what pray tell do you think you are doing?" The guard on the left asked.

The one on the right chimed in. "Do strangers normally just waltz right into your house with out knocking?"

"Oh you're right, how rude of me." Replied Haru, not taking the hint that they had no intention of letting him in regardless. That was why they quickly got frustrated with the boy and yelled at him to "get lost!" as he reached over to knock.

"Who the bitch do you think you are, bitches?" Julia who stood next to Haru with her hands on her hips accused angrily.

"We are the royal guards who make sure riff raff like you don't come barging in! Now you can take pictures of the castles outside, but we cannot let anyone just pop in. This is still somebody's home and the people who live here are too busy to deal with you, now scram!"

"Oh bitch, you did not just talk to us that way!" Julia yelled at the armored men. Let held her back. She was making a scene and knowing her, she was just about ready to take heads off.

Elie decided that now would be the best time to step in to set things strait. "We need to meet with his majesty immediately. This is of the utmost importance. I'm the Grand Duchess of New Elie."

The two men looked at the girl up and down. She was dressed in casual peasant dress and instead of riding with a group of well-trained bodyguards, she was hanging out with a runt of a dog and a group of loud, angry teenagers who obviously didn't know etiquette. They didn't believe that she was nobility for one second.

"Yeah, and I'm the Arch duke of la la land. Run along now sweetie." The left guard instructed as he waved her away.

"But- "

"Elie, the nice men asked us to go. Lets not bother them anymore, okay." Musica spoke sweetly as he put his hands gently on her shoulders and looked down at her like she was his six-year-old sister. Then he gently nudged her down the steps.

Everyone stared at Musica like he had just grown a second head. Following the authority of these two imbeciles was the last thing they expected from the Gangbanger, but what none of them knew was that Musica had anticipated this scenario and he already had a plan of getting into that castle, whether those jerks would let them or not.

After slight hesitation, the rest of the group followed him down the stairs, with Julia being the last person to lag behind. She took a few more seconds to glare at the two guards venomously until she heard Let call out to her. "Let's go Julia."

At last she turned around and followed in pursuit of her friends. As she stormed down the steps one last "Bitch" could be heard her muttering from her mouth.

After the group of teenagers had left the guards just stood there in silence just as they did before they had showed up. They stayed like that for another minute or so until one guard said to the other.

"Man, that girl sure loves the word 'bitch' a lot."

* * *

"What is the deal, Musica?" Haru asked. The gangbanger had just shoved Elie all the way down the stairs and around the corner of the castle, with the rest of the group of friends following behind closely. They should be trying to get into that palace, not worrying about bugging a couple of clueless guards.

"Yeah, Musica. That's not like you." Elie looked up at her strangely acting friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Look arguing with those dumb little pricks ain't gonna get us in. So we might as well just come up with a new plan." He insisted with a look that said 'I know what I'm doing.'

"But I'm Nobility and there's a possibility that Haru might even be royalty. They have to let us in." Elie insisted as she stomped her foot. This entire situation was so frustrating. Was it really that hard to believe she was of a high-ranking class?

As if reading her mind, Musica answered that question. "Elie, for all anyone knows, the Grand Duchess Valentine is still in hiding, and considering how you look and who you're with, there is no way those guys are going to believe you are her. Don't blame me and don't blame them. It's just the way it is and if we would have just kept arguing we'd be wasting a lot of time, or worse they might have thrown us out of the vicinity, and that would just be a giant leap backwards now wouldn't it?"

"So what do you purpose? We sneak in like bandits?' Let asked. As if that wouldn't get them thrown out of the vicinity.

"But Julia smirked at the idea. She was here for adventure, and that sounded like just the ticket. She punched her own palm; to show she was ready for action. "I'm game if you bitches are."

"All right people. This place is enormous. There has go to be more than one entrance. Elie you've been here before right?" Musica asked.

"Well yeah but that was years ago, and I barely remember any of my visit. There was this whole sleep deprivation thing I was going though, and well most of my visit is a sleepy blur. I know about as much of this place as you guys do." She explained.

It appeared as though they were on their own, but they were used to that by now.

"Alright. We'll make do." Musica replied. He took a step back and eyed the castle carefully, searching for any possible way in. That's when he noticed the open window. A devious smirk came to his lips as a plan formulated in his head. He knew what to do.

"Okay guys forget using a back door. Too obvious. We're gonna improvise." The others followed the silver claimer's outstretched finger with their eyes and realization hit them. He wanted them to go in through there?

Let looked at guy with a perplexing stare. "Musica that's a third story window. How are we going to get in through there?"

"You've never heard of a human pyramid?" He retorted.

The five of us plus Plue combined still wouldn't be tall enough to get up there." He continued with his doubts.

Musica just rolled his eyes at Let's negative attitude. "Fine. How about a dragon race, human pyramid?"

Let raised his eyebrows at his friend's idea, but he still said nothing. After thinking it over, it sounded like it might actually work.

After a few minutes of preparation, they were all set up for that pyramid. Let stood at the bottom in his green dragon form on all fours, trying to hold the weight of Julia standing on him in her own dragon form and the rest of his friends as well. Standing on her back was Haru, with Musica on his shoulders. Originally it was supposed to be Musica and then Haru, but Haru took that as an insinuation of Musica being stronger than him and the silver haired boy wouldn't take that lying down, so he sweated it out with Musica on top of him.

"Okay guys the coast is clear." Elie called out in a hushed voice. While they were building said pyramid, she and Plue were keeping watch, making sure no one saw what they were doing. Luckily none of the tourists came by this area because it was less decorated than the front, but it was possible that a guard could walk by on patrol and catch them so they still had to be careful.

"Okay Elie your turn." Musica replied.

She nodded to him just before she began climbing up her friends like a ladder. She did her best to get up as fast as she could but she still didn't want to hurt any of them by mistake, so she was extra carful.

As she reached the top of Julia's head where Haru was standing, hey both blushed as she tried to climb over him, brushing by him with her curves. It was more than a little awkward. She didn't want to do anything to embarrass herself, but in trying too hard not to do so, she made a little mistake. Her foot slipped.

The noble woman's eyes went wide as she felt herself begin to fall backwards. She stretched her arms out trying to regain her balance but to no avail. Seeing the girl in trouble, Haru reacted fast. Quickly he grabbed onto her arm and pulled her forward, to help her regain her balance. In doing so, he made the entire structure waver a little and they all lost their balance momentarily, each of them letting out a noise of surprise expecting to fall over. Luckily no one fell. The structure remained standing, but they all waited a moment in unmoving silence, just in case someone had heard them, but luck struck again.

They looked to Plue who was still keeping watch. The tiny creature checked around the corner and he nodded back to them. They were safe.

For a moment Haru and Elie just stopped to smile at each other. It was as if they were wordlessly saying, 'thank you', and 'your welcome.' Then Elie went right back to climbing.

When she reached the top where Musica was supporting her, she froze. A thought suddenly struck her. Before she reached for the way in, she looked down to see her friends and asked. "Hey. Couldn't we have just kept going around the side of the castle until we found a window that was closer to the ground?"

All of them froze at the question and their faces went red with embarrassment, then they glared up at Musica. She had a good point, but the gang leader couldn't answer her. The truth was he hadn't thought of that. He would have slapped himself in the face out of frustration, but he was too busy at the moment, so he just did it mentally.

"You're at the top already! Just go!" He barked, his face still very red with humiliation.

With some effort Elie managed to get herself up through the window, then rolled forward doing an unintentional summersault and landing on her butt, but she couldn't care about her bruised fanny now.

She turned back to the window and held out a hand for Musica to take. She gladly helped him inside and then Haru was next. Musica held onto her as she reached down a little farther to grab his hand. Let and Julia would be another problem. They would never fit through the window in their dragon forms and if they shrank down to their human shapes then they wouldn't be tall enough to reach all the way up to the window.

"Can't you guys just fly up and then jump into the window while transforming back to normal?" Haru asked his friends on the ground. He ran ideas through his head on how to make this work.

Julia rolled her eyes at the boy above her and scoffed. "Yeah. I'm sure no one will hear the loud flapping of dragon wings hovering by a busy castle."

"Or maybe the rest of you guys can just go flying out the window. I can help you." Came a smooth sultry voice.

The group of friends tensed at the new voice that sounded off behind them. They turned to meet her eyes and came face to face with a woman in her early 20s she had long flowing green hair that waved and curved off of her head and cascaded everywhere. It matched her emerald eyes so perfectly and contrasted with her cherry red lips. The only jewelry she adorned was a silver bracelet on her shoulder in the shape of a snake. Her tight long dress clung to her shape in a sensual manor, but her face showed nothing but the expression of quiet intensity and anger. Clearly this woman did not want them here.

"Listen, it's not what it looks like." Elie put her hands up in the air in a defensive posture and tried to explain why a few teens were breaking into the home of one of the most important men in the country. But this woman clearly did not want to hear it.

Without warning, the snake bracelet on the woman's shoulder came to life, and slithered off her arm. Haru and Elie's eyes went wide. They were sure it was just a piece of jewelry! It certainly looked like one at first sight but the fact that it was now coiled up on the ground hissing at them and preparing to strike like an actual snake proved them wrong.

"You've got ten seconds to get your asses back out that window or old silver here is going to get nippy." The woman warned. The metallic reptile barred its fangs at the mention of the word 'nippy'.

Musica, although caught off guard for a moment at first, was sure that there was not a thing to be afraid of. He knew what was going on and wasn't intimidated in the least. Why should he be? He had seen this all before.

While Haru and Elie were slowly backing away from the silver reptile on the floor, Haru in front of Elie in a protective stance, the gang leader took one step forward.

"What's your name?" He asked.

The woman just flipped her hair and answered. "My name is Reina Natalia Carmon Margarita Elnadia, the proud Silver claiming Vassal to his majesty, king Malakia, but you can just call me Reina."

Musica did not turn around or looked back to order his friends what to do, but rather just whispered it loud enough for them to hear. "On my mark, make a run for the door."

They nodded in understanding. They were deathly afraid of the mysterious serpent on the floor, but they trusted Musica. He seemed to have a plan and they chose to believe in that.

The gangbanger locked eyes with the woman in front of him and it seemed as though time stood still. The air was deathly quiet, as they both waited for the other to make the first move. The second one of them blinked, it would be all over for them. Their opponent would take advantage of the split second and make a run at them. It was like an old western film.

It was Reina. She was the first to blink. It was for less than a second, but Musica took it has an advantage.

"GO!" He yelled.

Off like a rocket the two teenagers behind him made a run for it, like a crack of a whip.

"Oh no you don't!" Reina yelled as she reached to stop the two before they made it past her out the door, when she suddenly found she couldn't move any more. It was as if she was tied up. She looked down to see what was holding her back when she saw that a long silver chain was wrapped around her. Her gaze followed to the end of the chain until she found the tall brunet male who had stayed behind holding the other end of it with both hands. What really sent her for a loop was that his left foot was standing right on top of her silver snake's head.

The tall brunet mane gave her a coy smirk. "My name is Musica. The proud Silver claiming punk to…" He thought for a moment on how to finish that sentence until he just shrugged it off. "I'm unemployed."

Reina sent a furious glare his way. She wasn't expecting him to be a silver claimer too. Now she had let those other two brats get away because of him. She would not let him get away with that.

Musica opened his mouth to say something else when he suddenly felt something hard come crashing up into his jaw. It hurt like an iron fist and as a result, he lost his concentration on the chain and it loosened. Before he had the chance to tighten it again, Reina snapped the silver binding her into a million pieces and let them fall to the floor using the same power that her enemy used.

Musica rubbed his bruised chin. She was able to control the silver he had stepped on and attacked him with it. That was clever, he had to admit. She turned her disadvantage into an advantage.

He turned back to face her. This time it was him sending her a glare. She was good. He hadn't seen any one use silver claiming like the way he could. It was possible she was better than him. She had proven before that she could morph her silver into animal shape and make it look real. He used to do things like that as a kid to entertain himself, but he stopped when he got older, partly because his animal shapes embarrassed him. He was bad at them. They were so cartoon-like, and partly because for the longest time all he needed out of his silver was weapons. It was what he was best at, but if this woman could make animal shapes that well, than who knows what else she could do.

Using her abilities, Reina called back her silver. It slithered back to her and up her arm, just like it would have if it were a real snake. She glared at Musica with challenging eyes.

Musica did the same and called his silver back to his hand. The once broken pieces all came together and within seconds it was in the form of his favorite weapon: a spear.

Well he was bound to run into someone better than him, sooner or latter. He didn't shy away from the challenge. He stood ready for her.

Then they unleashed their attacks upon one another.

* * *

Haru and Elie ran and ran as fast as they could through the hallways of the enormous palace, trying to put some distance between themselves and that vassal and also hoping that they didn't run into any other trouble.

They just kept going until they needed to stop to catch their breaths. As they both leaned forward, resting a hand on their knees for support, Haru could hear Elie speak to him through her panting.

"Haru,… Huff, huff… Thanks… Huff huff… But you can…Huff huff… Let go now…"

At first he wasn't sure what she had meant by that until he saw that he was holing onto her hand in his tight grip. That's when he remembered he grabbed her to keep her close by the minute they saw that snake. He must have been holding onto it subconsciously ever since. He blushed feeling embarrassed and also a little sweaty.

"S-sorry." He muttered out letting go of her and rubbing the sweat off on his pants. Well at least it made him forget how tired he was from running.

He looked around for where they should go next. This was his first time inside of this castle and he had no clue where to go. They were looking for one man, and if they were found by anyone other than him, they might as well kiss this opportunity goodbye. At last Haru's eyes landed on a doorway. He figured that was as good a place to start as any.

"Elie let's try over there." He pointed towards the door.

She mulled it over, just picking doors at random was risky, but they would get nowhere if they didn't start somewhere. "Well I suppose we could just stick our heads in. See if the coast was clear."

When they took a little peek in, they saw nothing but a large cozy room made of polished marble, but all they could really see from where they were standing was an open door on the other side of it leading to a balcony with a patio set on it. They couldn't see the entire balcony, so it was very difficult to know if anyone was there or not. They made the decision to go in the room a little further for a better look.

Silently they tip toed in, doing their best not to make a single noise, just in case somebody unwanted was there, but the second they were both in, the door closed behind them on its own, making a loud slamming noise, destroying any chance they had at stealth.

"Who's there?" Came a voice from upon the balcony.

It got even worse; somebody was there just as they feared. Before they could prepare themselves, the man on the balcony could be heard getting up from where he was sitting and walking closer to them.

Haru felt Lucky the moment he laid eyes on the man. He was an older gentleman and very well dressed might one add. He wore a long red cape adorning the same symbol of the Symphonian crest that fell to the floor. He had old purple eyes that held quite a bit of age-old wisdom and experience in them, as well as tender kindness. His long silver hair was swept back out of his face, and still appeared to be very thick and healthy looking for his old age. He must have been in his seventies at least for there were multiple wrinkles along the lines of his face.

Haru didn't think this old man looked very frightening. Maybe he wasn't a vassal who would attack them for trespassing, maybe he would listen and help them. It was worth a shot.

"Um, hello, sir. My name is Haru Glory and I don't know if you recognize her but this is the Grand Duchess, Elie Valentine. We've both come here to meet the king and-"

The feeling that something was tugging on his pants leg interrupted Haru. He looked down and was surprised to find Elie sitting on her knees on the floor with her head lowered in a bowing position. She was the one pulling on his pants to get his attention. She kept her head down, refusing to look at her friend. She just mumbled something in response.

Haru gave her a quizzical look that asked her what in the world was she doing, and what did she just say? She whispered once again, this time just a little louder for him to hear, giving him quite the unexpected answer.

"He _is_ the king."

The teenage Outer worlder's eyes widened at what he had just heard. Wow. Talk about getting lucky on their first door!

"Oh! Sir! Um, your majesty! I didn't mean to be so informal with you! I didn't know who you were! L-Listen. Me and the Grand Duchess here came a long way to speak with you. We both have very important things to tell you."

Haru was feeling like a Belnika more and more as he spazzed out at the royalty he stood before. This was the most important man in the country standing right before him and he couldn't find the right words. Internally he knew he was making a fool out of himself and he hadn't even asked him if he could be his grandson yet.

What would he possibly say to that? Haru didn't know anything about this king. Maybe he was a bad person. I mean he did allow the suffrage of women to take place in Makai and was completely oblivious to what was going on in New Elie. Maybe he get mad and would throw Haru out of the city for even hinting at the possibility that they were related.

Slowly, Haru felt his nerves ware away. What was he thinking? Him? A prince? This whole thing was so ridiculous! He should just snuff the idea of asking the man anything, before he embarrassed himself.

One thing Haru did know, was that this whole thing would be so much easier, if the man would just stop staring at Haru as if he was born with two heads. It was creepy. King Malakia just gazed at Haru completely unmoving with his eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. It was becoming too much for Haru to take.

"Um, your Majesty. Y-you're kind of staring." The boy mentally slapped himself. Again he was being too informal. This was his best friend's boss, the ruler of this entire country. He was a fool for-

"I didn't believe Siege Hart when I got off the telephone with him." The king finally spoke up, interrupting Haru's thoughts. "Now you're standing here before me I have no doubt in my mind."

The next thing that came out of King Malakia's mouth changed Haru's life forever.

"You look just like your father…"

* * *

Julia and Let billowed through the halls of Castle like a hurricane, Plue hot on their heels. They went back to the front door and forced their way through after beating the two rude armored guards they met earlier. They threw caution to the wind. It no longer mattered what happened to them if they were caught. Musica was in trouble.

The heard a lot of noises coming from the window they were standing under and it sounded like Musica was in a heated battle. They were going to run to his aid. These were vassals to the king they were dealing with here. He would need all the help he could get.

Finally they skid to a halt when they came to the room where they were certain they heard Musica's battle raging on. Julia swung open the door and burst in.

"MUSICA! WE MADE IT IN!"

Both dragon race's eyes went wide at the sight before them. It had to be the most unlikely, unexpected thing they had ever walked into.

"Uh sorry" Let squeaked out in embarrassment. Although he wondered if Musica even noticed they were there in the first place. He was much too preoccupied on the floor.

The silver claimer was covered with red marks but they weren't from blood. They were from lipstick stains, and he most certainly wasn't wrestling with Reina on the floor, but they definitely were all over each other, surrounded by their own discarded clothing. The sounds they made were as if they were in serious pain as their moans could be head from the other side of the now closed door, but It was seriously doubted that he hated it.

Julia and Let just stared at each other with their faces a bright red from what they had just witnessed.

"Looks like he made it in too…"

* * *

**BAM CHIKA WAH WAH!**

**Maybe I should have rated this story a little higher for older kids.**

**Reina is a Spanish name. It means queen so I thought I would giver her one of those fancy, cool, long, Hispanic names.**

**This is the end of the shortest story arc so far. Next one is one of my favorites. I'm going to introduce all of the nobles as well as a lot of familiar faces, but you'll just have t wait and see for yourself until next weekend. So far you know the one from Makai and of course New Elie state, but try to guess who is ruling over the other four.**

**Next Friday: Gather during the calm.**

**If you review I'll give you a cookie… Okay I can't do that, since I'm over here and you're over there. But I will give you a thank you.**


	25. Gather During The Calm  Part 1

**Gather During The Calm Part 1**

**So there was this and there was that. The point is I don't own Rave Master.**

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"Hey where's Musica? He missed lunch." Haru asked, curious as to why he hadn't seen him all day.

Julia rolled her eyes. "He told me he was off 'silver claiming training' with Reina."

"I walked by their door earlier." Elie added. "He is such a trooper. The training that Reina does must be rigorous because I heard him groaning in pain the whole time, but he was also yelling 'don't stop! Don't stop!' too. He must be really tough."

Haru was more than happy that Musica found a lady, but he was getting very uncomfortable with this conversation. "Right. Moving along…"

It was the day after the team had made it to the capitol and they had finally managed to speak with the king. As it turned out, his majesty believed whole-heartedly that Haru was in fact his blood relative, before the boy had even said anything no less. And as they continued speaking with one another about each other's lives and pasts, his majesty's beliefs were confirmed.

Unless it was just a coincidence that Haru's father and King Malakia's son both had the same name, physical characteristics, personality, spoke similarly, and moved to Indiana at the same time, it was pretty likely that they were the same person.

But in reality Haru still had a hard time believing it himself. Here he was with the grandfather he never knew, who just happened to be one of the most important people in the entire country of Symphonia, and he was willing to share all of it with him. It all sounded like it was just too good to be true. Maybe that was why the whole situation just wasn't sinking in.

He should have been jumping for joy, screaming with excitement and dancing around like a happy idiot. Everything he had ever dreamed for was happening right in front of him, but he just couldn't bring himself to get excited about it. It was as if a random stranger had just knocked on his door and said to him, "Hey you're the future king of a powerful nation, enjoy", and he just nodded and said, "Kay, thanks." It was weird. A part of him internally wondered what was wrong with him.

It wasn't like he disliked it. On the contrary, he loved chilling out with in the Royal castle. Ever since the king told all his men the truth about Haru, he and the rest of his friends were practically being pampered. They were given nice new clothes and each had an enormous bedroom to stay in that were as big as the second floor of Haru's apartment back in Outer world, with maids and servants to wait on them hand and foot. They were thinking that Belnika and Ruby would have loved it there, but they were also sure they were having a good time doing whatever it was that they were doing.

King Malakia was so nice. Everything Haru could ever want in a grandfather. He loved to talk so much about his son, Gale, which was great for Haru too because he loved talking and hearing about his father.

Despite his strange lack of excitement, the boy was still all smiles, everyone was happy to be there.

Currently however, they were not talking about Gale, but something much more important. His majesty, Haru and all of his friends all sat together around a large round patio table, on the king's polished marble balcony. They had just finished lunch and it had been the most delicious meal that they had had in a long time. Julia was still picking things out of her fangs as she smiled. A maid was clearing away the dirty dishes as they spoke about what had been going on in New Elie.

King Malakia had already received most of the information from Sieg Hart's call just the other day, but hearing them express what they had gone through. The vicious guards around that disturbing fence, the shameful way they had treated Lady Elie when she was held captive, made it all sound so much worse. The king was mortified to find out that these terrible things were happing in his own country, under his rule, without his knowledge.

"Your Majesty, please do not be upset. From the sound of Sieg Hart's telephone call earlier, New Elie is safe. True, I feel awful that one of my family's oldest and most trusted vassals caused this entire nightmare, but I take comfort that it is all over now and it is my greatest wish that you do too." Elie spoke comfortingly to the old royal who had his chin resting in his hands with a distressed look on his face.

Elie was the exception to the rest of her friends, bad manners. While Plue sat on the table chugging back his drink, and Haru fidgeted in his seat among the rest of them, She sat like an elegant young lady and spoke in a polite fashion. Even after all of these years she did not forget how to act in the presence of her king, just like she was raised.

"Hm. I am not so sure of that, Lady Valentine." Replied his majesty as he got up and walked to the edge of the balcony to stare off into the clear lavender sky.

"What do you mean?" Let asked with a raised eyebrow. Surly he couldn't be suggesting that this isn't over? But the entire mystery was solved, what else could there be?

"I don't know. I have just recently learned of all of this only a few days ago." He answered sullenly, not taking his eyes off the sky. "However I would like to be safe rather than sorry. I think precautions must be made."

"What do you suggest?" Haru asked.

"This is a matter that I would like to take up with my old friends. Surely one of them will have a helpful opinion on the topic." His majesty replied.

Everyone gave him a bewildered look as they waited for him to explain himself.

He turned to address them and said, "I would like the Estates General to be held early this year to discuss this. We will meet as soon as possible."

Elie's eyes widened at the idea. "But sire, the Estates General is supposed to meet in a month from now anyway. Are you sure you want to move it ahead?"

"Yeah, Elie's right, that could be really dangerous!" Haru yelled out. Then he turned to Elie and whispered, "What's the Estates General?"

The king had over heard the question and answered for her. "Once every year all of the Nobles gather to my castle from every Symphonian state to hold a meeting. We speak about how things are going, any complaints that the people have and get together as friends. It is one of the most important duties for a noble in this country.

Normally the Estates General begins on July 13th, but if needed be, I can reschedule it when it is the utmost importance that I need to see them right away, and this year I believe we are facing an emergency."

"Can't you just call them up and talk to them? I thought all of the Noble families had telephones in their castles?" Julia asked.

"This is a matter that should be discussed face to face, when everybody is here." His majesty answered. "And you are correct Madame. I need to call them right away and tell them I want them to come as soon as possible."

The king muttered an "Excuse me", to everybody before leaving to go call his 'old family friends' as he liked to call them.

* * *

The Symphonian state known as Mildesta was the smallest of the six, land wise that is. Technically most of The Ilma Sea was considered Symphonian territory and that is where 80% of Mildesta's population lived. You see Mildesta had a few towns on the seaside. Most of them were tourist areas, but it had plenty of villages under water. Most of its inhabitants were mer-people, even the noblewoman, Grand Governess Fumia Starla was a mermaid, as well as her younger sister and heiress to her throne, Governess Celia Starla.

Celia was a pretty little mermaid with a green scaly tail and long light blue hair that flowed around her like a cape. She always wore much jewelry to show off her noble status, but she was not too serious about being the Grand Governess someday. Sure she always said she wanted to, but she could never bring herself to do the work. She was much more interested in boys, and playing with her friends, and other such nonsense like that. Most of her friends teased her for that.

In fact that was what her fiends were doing at that very moment.

"Aw come on you guys, give me the ball!" She squealed as she swam back and forth between her two friends. The three of them were playing a game similar to soccer that was played with their fins instead of feet. The 15-year-old governess had invited them over to play in the underwater castle courtyard, but it ended up being a game of monkey in the middle before the game was over.

"You know when I run this state, I'll remember this kind of thing and you two will be sorry." She threatened.

"Yeah right! Like I can see you as Grand Governess." Said the only male merman between the three of them. He swatted the ball around with his tall before he passed it back over to his other friend Cindy.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Celia asked, her hands on her hips as she pouted.

"Well." Answered Cindy. "You only get to take over your sister's job if she never has kids."

"Yeah. And she is way too smoken hot to never get married." Added the boy. It was true. With her luscious hair, lovely curves, crystal blues eyes, and soft pink lips, the mermaid noble was a knockout. He was so busy thinking about the noblewoman that he missed the shot that Cindy had sent him and Celia caught it instead.

The blue haired mermaid gave him a dirty look. "Hey that's my sister and your Grand Governess you're talking about, so you'd better show some respect."

Celia always thought that Mer-boys were always so immature.

Just as she was about to swap places with the boy so that he would be in the middle, she heard a voice call to her.

"My Grace, Lady Fumia asks for your presence in her privet quarters." Answered the servant named Bonnie. Bonnie was a talking starfish. He wasn't the only undersea creature who could talk, but he was the one who like to ruin the governess's fun the most.

Her friend swimming behind her jeered. "Whoops. Looks like you'd better swim along now. You wouldn't want to keep our Grand Governess waiting."

Celia stuck her tongue out at the boy before she left with Bonnie to see Fumia. Silently she wondered to herself, 'I wonder what sis wants?'

Bonnie escorted the young mermaid girl all the way up to Fumia's giant Bedchamber doors. Slowly she poked her head in to find her older sister sitting at her dresser, brushing her long, thick, wavy, black, hair.

"Is everything all right, sis?" Celia asked, wondering what the reason for her summoning could be.

Fumia smiled at her sister through her mirror hanging over the dresser. She was expecting her. "Yes, everything is fine, please come in, Celia."

The blue haired governess did as was instructed and sat on her sister's large king sized bed.

"I just wanted to say goodbye before I leave. Tonight I am leaving for the annual Estates General, and it might be some time before I return." Fumia explained as she swam over to her sister to sit beside her.

"The Estates General?" Celia asked bewildered. "I though that was a month from now?"

For a brief moment the Grand Governess made a face like a secret had just been found out, but just as quickly as it came, she covered it up. "It is… But you know how long it takes to get to the capitol from here, and it is rumored that we will be getting some bad weather very soon, so I would like to leave soon, just in case. Even if I am early, it is much better than arriving late."

"Oh." Celia replied taking her sister's cover story hook, line, and sinker. "Can I come too?" She asked hopefully.

"No!" Fumia snapped back at the question, like the idea scared her. Her younger sister looked at her in surprise for her uncharacteristic outburst.

"That is… Have you been working on your transformation magic? The last time we talked about your studies, you could only make your transformations last a single day. Still at the beginners level?"

Celia blushed in embarrassment from the question. As a mermaid, she was expected to learn magic that would allow her to grow legs and walk on the land. This was especially important for her being a mermaid noble who had some towns on the land that needed to be governed over.

She didn't have to answer; Fumia could read it all over Celia's face. "Maybe if you concentrated on your studies more than you could come. Unfortunately, the Capitol is a land-locked city and we can't keep stopping all the time all the way there to have you be watered down every now and again."

It was the perfect excuse as to why Celia should stay at home, but one look at her sister's crestfallen face, and Fumia started to wish her sister could come with her. The little governess truly did like to go on vacation to the land.

"You wouldn't have fun anyway. It'll be boring. You would just lounge around the king's castle all day waiting for my meeting to get out. You can do that here, with your friends. Honestly I wouldn't even go if I didn't have to. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing the other nobility but the trip is such a pain." The Grand Governess tried to comfort her but she still looked a little left out, not being able to come.

She sighed. Then it hit her. Something that always cheered the little governess up. "I'll tell you what, little sis, if you promise to study more while I'm away, then I'll take you shopping in Periperiall Village, when I return."

The blue haired mermaid practically beamed at the deal she was offered. "Really? Periperiall?"

The noblewoman nodded. Periperiall was one of Mildesta's land-based towns. Whenever they went to visit, even for a short shopping trip, they were treated like celebrities. Celia loved it there and she especially loved shopping.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you, big sis!" Celia squealed in delight as she wrapped her arms around her sister in a big hug. Her head went crazy with how much fun she was going to have. Maybe when she was there she'd meet a cute human boy who would treat her like a queen! God know human boys are much more mature than mermen.

Celia released her sister and swam towards the door, right before she exited; she called back to her sister happily. "You have a good time in the Capitol sis! I'm gonna go start my magic lessons right now!" And with that she shut the door behind her on her way out.

Fumia smiled. Her little sister was so easy to please, but she couldn't allow her to come with her on this trip. Celia had it right from the very beginning. The Estates General was being held early this year, and that could only mean one thing. Something big was happening.

The last time it was held on a different date than usual, it was because the Grand Duke of New Elie and his wife had been murdered. A sinking feeling could be felt in the pit of her stomach. She was afraid of what she might have been exposing her sister to if she came along.

Something big was going down. This time, it could be anything.

* * *

Deep in the deserts of Raybarrier, there was a large city built on the Aquapalace River. It was always hustling and bustling with life despite the fact that they lived in the desert. The people believed that beauty could be found any place, and anywhere. They claimed that the sunsets and sunrises in Raybarrier were the most spectacular in the entire world. The round orange glowing sun contrasted with the lavender sky so wonderfully.

One of the beauties of this city was that on the edge of it was an enormous palace that looked very much like Outer world's taj mahal. It was there that the Grand Contessa of the entire state resided along with her many vassals.

She was the youngest noblewoman to ever inherit her position and actually run the state in her own name without help from any of her vassals. When her grandmother, Grand Contessa Clea Maltese, decided to retire, she insisted that her grandchild, Remy, take her place. She was advised to allow a vassal to run the state until Remy was a bit older, but Grand Contessa Clea insisted that Remy could handle it on her own, and she was proven right. Remy made a fine noblewoman. She was very wise for her young age.

Grand Contessa Remy Maltese was a young woman the age of 15. She had a smooth dark complexion and short purple hair that fell no longer than her chin. She wore a traditional Indian dress with many colors of red, pink, orange, and gold trimmings everywhere. She wore much jewelry, with bracelets all over her legs, arms and some jewels even draping off of her head. Every trinket shined like her soft glossy lips.

Currently she stood just outside of her palace watching her things get packed away into her carriage. She stood tall with her head held high, just like a noble should. She had an emotionless look on her face, but someone was still able to read it without any problem.

"Something troubles you, my grace?" Came the voice of the man standing right beside her.

His name was Solosido. He had soft green hair that was just long enough to frame his face. It matched his emerald eyes almost exactly. He had known Remy for as long as he could remember. They were once inseparable, like siblings, and when she was crowned Grand Contessa, he became a vassal almost immediately after. He spoke with the same look on his face as Remy as he too watched her carriage getting packed up. He did not have to look at her to know that something was on her mind.

"I don't know why you would insinuate that anything is wrong, sir Solosido." She answered him simply, still not turning to face him. They had learned to act very civil with each other, remembering their places as noblewoman and vassal, but even still they were so close it was as almost as if they could read each other's mind effortlessly, so they didn't need to say anything out loud.

"If I were in my lady's shoes I would feel nervous. The Estates General meeting on an out of scheduled time is a case that only occurs during emergencies, and this is only milady's second one since becoming Grand Contessa." Solosido explained calmly.

This was true. Last year was her first Estates General. Last time she unexpectedly shined during the meeting. Despite that that awful Haja who was filling in for his noblewoman tried to make her slip up and look like a fool. She handled the pressure exceedingly better than anyone thought she originally would, proving once again that her age didn't matter.

That however, was just a basic meeting going over simple things like money and how everyone was doing and if they had anything new to report. The fact that everyone was being called early this year meant that, they would be discussing much more urgent matters and deep down, Solosido was right she was worried for both her country and herself.

"My Grand Contessa if you follow her heart and do what is best for your fellow countrymen, you shall surely come out of this as a lady of grace, just as you always do." Solosido told her as if sensing her worries. However, this did not do much to calm her doubts.

"Sir Solosido…" She said to him finally looking at him. "May I be frank with you for a moment?"

He also averted his eyes downward to gaze at her short figure. "Please. I'd consider it an honor." He answered.

"You know that I trust you above all others, correct? I mean to me you're more than just a vassal. You're more like an older brother who just happens to get paid protecting me, and I was hoping-"

"Say no more." He smiled cutting her off. "You would like me to take care of the state for you while you are gone."

"No. I have already asked Fua to do that for me." She told him, revering to another vassal. He looked at her surprised, so she continued.

"A noble is to take at least one, but no more than three vassals with them for protection when going to the Estates General. They will not accompany their nobles in the meeting room, but still the vassals that are chosen, are the ones said to bring back the most honor when coming home."

Solosido waited for her to make her point. He already knew all of this, so she must be going somewhere with this.

"I have decided that you are the only vassal I will need. You will come with me to the capitol."

Solosido was utterly speechless. This was such an honor. "Madame, this is quite the enormous responsibility. Perhaps it would be better to take a vassal with more experience instead-"

"Are you questioning your Grand Contessa's orders?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. She didn't sound angry for questioning. She sounded as though she was certain of her decision.

Solosido gulped. The safety of his state's ruler and his best friend was on his shoulders. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous, but if she thought he could do it, than he did too.

"No milady. I except the responsibilities in which you have bestowed upon me and understand the consequences." He said to her as he bowed.

She smiled at her old friend. She was ready for this.

* * *

The cart that was to take the Earl of Ribelya to the Estates General was already on the open road. He had left not long after getting the call about the rescheduling.

The Earl was a man very different from most Symphonian nobles. He dressed like a commoner and spoke like one as well. He was a man for the people, a true philanthropist. His castle was the smallest in all of Symphonia; some would even call it just an oversized house. He gave most of his money to local businesses, farmers, or just about anybody he came across who needed it. This caused him to be the least wealthy noble of all of the six families.

Some people would tell him that he gave too much. In return he would spit in their eyes and tell them to shut up. "You can't tell me what to do! I run this state, not you, turd breath!" He was also the least mannered of all the nobles. But his people loved him like a father. In fact he even let some of the people who knew him well call him, daddy.

Even his ride to the capitol was just a simple wooden cart big enough for him and his two vassals that he had chosen to take with him. That however was still a very big cart, for he was a very big man. He weighed over 370 seventy pounds and stood 6 feet, 8 inches tall. Was a rather muscular man, except for around his gut, which was beginning to grow now that he was in his 40s. He wore square glasses that fit his face just fine, and his complexion was slightly tanned from occasionally helping farmers out in the fields when they needed it. He did not feel like he was above such things. His name was Yuma Ansecto, and he ruled over Ribelya for the Symphonian government.

It was a sunny day for traveling. The lavender sky was all clear as they rode past the wide-open farming areas that seemed to stretch on almost for as long as the sky did. The nobleman decided to relax. It would still be some time before they got there, so he figured he'd take a load off. He put his feet up on the chest that lay on the floor of the cart that contained most of his luggage.

With the sudden thud of his feet on the chest, another sound could be heard.

"Ouch."

The three men in the cart stared at the trunk. They all had heard the same thing, there was no question. Yuma let out an aggravated sigh as he opened the trunk to find what had made that sound.

Sitting curled up in all of his clothes, rubbing her sore head from where she had felt Yuma put his feet down was a 15-year-old girl. She was rather pretty, with a light complexion, saved for one beauty mark o her cheek, thick pink hair that was tied up in two braids that fell down her back, and a thin, if not slightly muscular body. She stared up at the nobleman with an embarrassed blush all over her face she said nervously,"Um, Hi daddy?"

"Nagisa!" The two young men who acted as The Earl's vassal said at the same time. Clearly she wasn't supposed to be there.

"Now listen fellas, just hear me out."

"Nobody said that you could come on this trip, dung beetle brain!" Yuma yelled out.

"I know I shouldn't have snuck on, but the law says that you can bring up to three vassals with you for protection, and I Thought that Mitsu and Nanahoshi could use a hand." She pointed at the two young men, using their names as she tried to defend her actions. She really wanted to bring back great honor and glory for protecting her nobleman as he went to the Estates general. It had always been her dream.

"In case you can't remember, kid, you just became a vassal LAST MONTH! Give me one good reason I shouldn't smack you up side the head and send you home!" He asked outraged.

It didn't take long for her to come up with an answer. "It'll really piss off Makai if you show up with a female vassal."

Yuma took a minute to consider that. It was true. Makai and Ribeyla were having a rivalry with one another about who produces the best soldiers for the Symphonian army and who has the strongest vassals. It was because both states had such different methods when it came to commanding troops. This rivalry was pretty big, but they knew that they both fought for Symphonia. It was like two rival baseball teams going at it, but they both still loved the league they were in, so the fight never went farther then a few 'yo mama' jokes.

Makai was so organized when it came to training. Ribelya's soldiers a fought like a couple of crazy gorillas. Makai was all about respecting your superiors, while in Ribelya, somebody was always cursing at someone else and most noticeably, Makai would never let a girl into their ranks, Having a female vassal with them would be completely mocking them.

"Okay, Nagisa. You're in."

* * *

"Gentlemen! As you know our dear Grand Baron Altagis is about to venture off to the Estates General. He will need some good men for protection!" Commander Runner yelled out to a line of strong Dragon Race vassals currently in their Human form standing proud and ready as he paced back and forth in his dragon form.

Civilians of all ages stood around the training grounds waiting for the announcement of who would be in charge of escorting their Nobleman to the capitol. There were even some women there waiting to see. Even though there were still no female dragon race vassals, the law that prohibited them from coming to see the soldiers was lifted; so a few girls dressed in their nice Kimonos came to see.

"Our Grand Baron himself came to choose one of you maggots for this task. It is a mission of the highest priority and even though it brings great honor, it also is a great responsibility! He has decided that only the best two out of all of you maggots will be joining him!" Commander Runner continued.

It was at that point that the titanic sized beast known as Grand Baron Altagis choose to make himself known. He looked upon all of the men and made it short and to the point.

"Privet Annis! Privet Salbia! You're coming with me."

The two soldiers held in their excitement knowing that they were to act professional in the presence of their Noble but deep inside they were practically jumping for joy. This was such an honor! The rest of their comrades were very happy for them as well, knowing that they would do Makai proud.

The two dragon race males transformed into their dragon forms and prepared for take off. Every soldier came prepared that day Just in case it was them to be chosen for the task. They had to leave right away. It would look very bad on them if they were late.

"Soldiers!" Commander Runner yelled stopping the two for one last moment. They both stared at their commanding officer in confusion.

The commander gave them both a smile and said. "If you happen to run into my baby girl, tell her that mommy and daddy are thinking about her and they love her."

The two soldiers couldn't help but think about how out of character that was of their commander to speak in such a way. They weren't used to him not yelling. But then only a moment later he went back to normal.

"And what are you mamby pansies think you're doing just standing there like a couple of morons! MOVE OUT!"

That snapped them back into focus and just like that the three dragons, The Grand Baron and his two vassals all took off and headed for the capitol with everyone else cheering for them to come home safely and good luck like they were heroes.

* * *

The Green state was called that just for that. It was lush and green. There was no reason to build cities or towns there. It was not necessary. The people who lived there had no use for such things. They were sentenoids, people who were not human, but acted like they were. They could communicate, create and do everything that any human could do. This included werewolves, vampires, nekos, and even talking penguins, like Ruby.

These particular senteniods of the green state were people derived of nature. Some had skin that looked like stone, some had flowers for hair, and some were mistaken for shrubbery upon first sight. Because they were made of nature, they didn't need anything concrete, however, four members of the Green race were about to venture out into the capitol where they had those things in plenty.

"My honorable Grand Marquis. We wish you well in your travels. Please come home safely." Replied one of the many plant creatures that were bowing before their noble and the three vassals meant to escort him.

Grand Marquis Forristras stood at the height of 5 foot 7. He was a mysterious man who covered himself in ceremonial robes so much that most of his skin could not be seen. What could be seen appeared to be like tree bark at first glance. Some might even mistake him for a dressed up tree on sight. He wore a large Native American headdress covered with feathers and foliage. His voice was deep yet soft as he spoke.

"I promise all of thee that I shall do our people proud at the Estates General. Thou shall have my word."

The green race people had no doubt that he would do just that. None of them picked their heads up from bowing until he and his vassals were out of sight as they began their long trek to the capitol.

All of the Nobles had their own thought with them about what they will say and do once they make it to the capitol with no idea as to why it was rescheduled. They could only hope that it was not a sign of terrible things to come.

* * *

**This chapter was one of my favorites. I loved picking out characters and what cultures I thought would go well with their states and finding titles that actual nobles used like Contessa and Marquis. I got so into it that I finished this chapter two days earlier that I planned.**

**Well everybody's nervous about why the Estates General is being held early this year, but you all know that all the danger is over and there is nothing to worry about. Unless of course the 'calm' in 'Gather During The Calm' reefers to the calm before a big storm. I guess you'll just have to tune in next week to find out.**

**By the way. I don't know how many of you know this but the Estates General was actually real. Back before France's revolution the king would gather representatives from all over France to talk about issues. The difference between France's Estate General and Symphonia's is that France had much more representatives and they mostly came to talk about money and taxes. I'm pretty sure most of you know this already but that's not they'll talk about next chapter.**

**England had an Estates General too, but they called it Parliament.**

**So that's all Please review.**


	26. Gather During The Calm  Part 2

**Gather During The Calm part 2**

**I don't own Rave master… What? I can just say it normally. Leave me alone!**

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Haru walked down the hall of the enormous castle in his new clothes. He was now wearing the proper attire for a Symphonian prince and he wasn't all that fond of it. He wore a nice dress shirt with well-ironed black pants and shoes that were so shiny that one could see their own reflection in them. His normally spiky hair was now tied back as best as it could but there were many choppy strands the poked out, and a long red cape similar to that of his grandfather's was draped down his back.

The teenager was completely fine with all of that but what bothered him was the brand new breast-plated and shoulder armor that he wore on top. It was so heavy and it didn't exactly breath well. Maybe he wouldn't have so many complaints if he was more used to it but right now he couldn't wait until he could take them off. He just had to make it through a few hours for this meeting. The day of the Estates General had finally arrived.

Then again as the prince he would probably have to wear them again at some point. There he went again. He just couldn't imagine a future in this. It still felt like some far off dream. Something just didn't click. After all that had happened and all that he had seen there was just a part of him that shrugged the entire situation off. He didn't accept it, nor did he dislike it. He just didn't feel anything for it.

Throwing his bewilderment over his lack of excitement for his new position to the back of his mind, he was quickly growing a new excitement for something else. Today was the Estates General and he would get to meet the most powerful people in the entire country. He'd even get to sit in on the meeting. The law stated that only the nobles and his majesty were allowed to attend the meeting. They would lock themselves up in a room in the palace and discuss issues going on in the country, however since this meeting partly concerned him and he would one day be the one to run this meeting, he was allowed to sit in and observe, but just observe. He wasn't allowed to speak out.

That was okay. He wouldn't know what to say anyway and it was an honor to just be there. Millions of people would give anything to be in Haru's position and Haru could clearly see most of them from out of a window.

Sitting in front of the palace had to be at least a thousand civilians. They had starting camping out there a few nights ago. Ever since it was announced that the Estates General would be held early people came far and wide to bare witness. They weren't allowed inside of the castle, but that didn't dampen their excitement over the whole event. Some wanted to see the Nobles when they first arrived and others wanted to sit there and wait for the meeting to get out so that they would be the first to hear the results, like if there was going to be any new laws or if war had broken out. To Haru it looked like they were going to roll out the red carpet as if this were the Oscars.

It only a few minutes later that the enormous group of people started braking out into cheers and screams of excitement, kind of like Total request live. At first Haru was slightly confused by this. That's when he finally noticed it, the breathtaking nobility entourages that were pulling up to castle.

Some of the vassals had to perform crowd control as they neared closer. Haru could recognize Reina down there, whipping her silver around to get the people to back up. Shuda, a vassal that Haru had met just recently after coming to the capitol, was also there, but he didn't have to do much other than unsheathe his sword halfway. The man was so naturally intimidating that people just backed away on sight.

There were many more of the king's vassals also down there, not all of them were on crowd control, there were at least five standing close by his majesty who stood there waiting to greet his guests properly. They acted as his bodyguards.

The first Carriage to show up was incredible. It was covered in head to toe with beautiful, multicolored seashells. It was like somebody had taken the most beautiful shells in the entire ocean and glued them on the carriage. The true incredible thing was not the carriage itself but what was pulling it. Four unicorns stood at the front of it, all fastened to pull it. It was the first time Haru had ever seen was of those animals before; he had to look twice to make sure he wasn't just seeing things.

When the shelled carriage stopped a gorgeous woman stepped out. She had thick wavy black hair and eyes like crystals. She adorned diamonds and pearls all over body along with a multi colored dress. She reminded Haru of a tropical island princess or something. She smiled and waved to the crowds of people, but there were three bodyguards surrounding her to keep her away from them. When the woman walked up to the king they both bowed to one another, then once the formalities were over, she shook his hand and smiled at him like they were old friends. It looked like they were speaking with one another but Haru couldn't read lips so he didn't understand.

As soon as the woman had entered the castle, another carriage just pulled up. It was rather odd looking. It looked to be made out of a polished stone, the color of gold, and its wheels were much bigger and more durable than the average carriage. It appeared as though it was built to stand up to the elements.

This time the animals that were pulling it were much more strange. Instead of having a mythological creature pull it, it had a set of eight over-sixed crocodiles. It was truly amazing. They were all strapped to harnesses. Haru didn't think it was possible to train crocodiles to work for people. Then he remembered that he was in Inner world and decided he didn't need an explanation.

The woman who stepped out of the carriage this time was much younger than the last. She was probably about Haru's age, maybe even younger. She stood strait and tall with very little emotion on her face. From the way she was dressed it appeared as though she was some sort of Indian goddess. She walked elegantly towards where the king was standing.

On he right arm was only one man. He dressed like a soldier. He had green hair and eyes and was possibly not that much older than the woman he was escorting. Haru could only figure that this noblewoman had opted into only taking one vassal with her. Either way he looked very capable.

When she came up to the king they both bowed but did not exchange much pleasantries. The young noblewoman was very professional looking but Haru just thought that maybe she could lighten up. No one would blame her if she did.

As she entered the building another carriage pulled up, but it did not look like much of a carriage at all. It was more like a cart someone would use to haul groceries home with. It was made of plain wood, nothing fancy and the animal that hauled it was just a regular horse. Granted that it was much bigger than a normal horse. It was the size of three horses rolled up into one and it pulled the cart all by itself.

As Haru saw a giant man and three teenagers jump out of the cart and walk towards the palace, Haru was sure that soon these peasants would be escorted away by the king's vassals. He cold understand if the guy wanted to take his family to see the Nobility arrive like everyone else, but what he was doing was disrupting the whole event.

Haru's eyes went wide in shock when he saw the giant man walk right up to the king and after bowing he shook his hand like they were old buddies. This man was nobility? He didn't look the part at all. He wasn't even dressed like an upperclassman.

The teenage boy was so surprised he almost missed the next arrival of noble class, but the heavy pounding of wind snapped him out of it. That wind was coming from the beating wings of dragons. Grand Baron Altagis had arrived. He had two smaller dragons behind him, which Haru could only guess to be vassals. They were the only nobility not to come in a carriage so far. He bowed to his majesty before all three dragons transformed themselves into their human forms so that they would fit inside the castle.

Then the last of the nobility had arrived. His carriage was by far the most interesting. It looked as though someone had woven twigs and flowers together to form what could barley pass as a carriage. It looked much more like a giant birds nest. No creature pulled his carriage, in fact it didn't even drive in, it flew in. The giant birds nest-like carriage was being carried by the biggest flock of butterflies Haru had ever laid eyes upon. It was incredible. The tiny beautiful insects were all working together and combining their strength to make the flight of that carriage possible.

Once the woven carriage had landed all of the butterflies had dispersed and flown away each in their own direction. Then another amazing stunt happened. The twigs and flowers on the carriage seemed to move and bend on their own, forming a door, so that three more plants could come out.

At first the three plants looked like just that, but when they stared moving towards the king and they bowed it finally hit Haru. That was the last of the nobility. The more Haru stared, the more he swore he could see a face in the plant creature.

This was too much. It blew Haru away. If Elie could see this- wait. Why wasn't Elie seeing this? She was nobility too and she came here first, where was she? Running down the Hallway, Haru began to search. He would find Elie. She should really be here.

* * *

Elie stood in her guest bedroom staring into a long mirror as she changed into her formal gown.

"Everyone's already here." She stated nervously.

The old maid helping her dress just smiled and assured her as she hemmed the bottom of her gown. "There is no need to worry. They will chat amongst themselves and settle in before the meeting begins. They will not start without you, Milady. You have plenty of time."

Elie nodded gratefully at the old maid's comforting words, but it did very little to ease her anxiety.

"Hey Elie you in here?" It was at that moment Haru chose to burst through the door. His rudeness angered the old maid.

"Don't you know better than to just barge in on into a woman's privet quarters? For heaven's sake she is barely wearing anything!"

Elie rolled her eyes at the maid. She knew she was right, but she was wearing plenty. This gown covered her more than some of the clothes she would wear in Indiana. A small part of her missed her jean mini skirts and tank tops.

Haru wasn't paying attention to the old maid. He could not tear his eyes off of Elie. He had never seen her like this. He was utterly speechless.

Her normally strait golden brown locks were tossed in soft waves and curls that were half pinned up by pink and white flowers. She was wearing subtle make up that caused her sparkling eyes to stand out more and her pink lips to shine. Her complexion almost seemed to glow. Diamond earrings that sparkled the same way her eyes did hung from each ear. The gorgeous light pink strapless gown, made from some sort of soft looking fabric hugged her body all the way up from her bust down to the bottom of her waist before it puffed out hiding her legs completely. A see through wrap loosely and limply hung around her arms. A trillion dollar prom dress wouldn't even hold a candle.

"Thank you. That will be all." Elie said to the old maid dismissing her.

When she left the sound of the slamming door snapped Haru out of his daze. He finally managed to get some words out.

"Damn, Elie. You look more like royalty than I do. You're gonna knockem dead today."

Normally Elie would have blushed until her face resembled a tomato should Haru ever speak to her like that, but the butterflies in her stomach made it hard to think about anything else besides the Estates General.

"Sigh. You're right, you're right." She said putting a smile on her face. She stood up tall and imagined herself there. "I'll just speak clearly, be polite, act elegant, and… Pray that I don't make a total fool out of myself."

Haru saw her face fell and he knew why. "Aw, come on Elie, I mean it. There's nothing to be nervous about."

"Says the guy who's suppose to just observe and not speak, but I have something that I really need to say and If it doesn't come out the right way, there is no way I'll be taken seriously."

She sat down on her large silky sheeted bedspread and rested her chin in her hands. "Not that anyone takes me seriously now."

"What are you taking about, Elie?" Haru asked, thinking she was crazy for even suggesting such a thing.

"Be serious Haru, before you found out about my heritage, could you ever picture me as a leader. The best grade I ever got in my speech class was an 80."

Haru didn't know what to say to that. She had him there, and even after he found out, it's not like he treated her any differently as a result. She was still the silly, little, adorable girl he had known for years.

"Aw come on what's the worst thing that could happen?" He asked.

She looked up at him and answered, "Well I could accidently say something that offends somebody and I'll bring shame upon my entire family name and the state we run, or his majesty might just revoke my title, banish me and give it to someone who's better suited."

Boy, she really thought this out, Haru thought.

"People expect great things from me, because of who my grandmother was. Resha Valentine, huh."

Elie shut her eyes as she tried to picture the woman in her mind. "I never met her, but people would tell me about her all the time. She was a true lady of grace. The second she waltzed into a room all eyes were on her. It was like she never walked anywhere; she just floated in like a magnificent presence. People adored her naturally. Wizards came from all over to learn what she knew. Everyone says it's hard to earn a title, but once you've met her for the first time, you had no doubt she could do anything.

And the worst part of all of it is that I look just like her. When people see me, they see her, and when they get to know me, they'll know I'm an inferior model to her."

Haru's eyebrows creased at Elie's explanation. Now he knew what to say.

"No, they'll see a wonderful girl who makes a fantastic Grand Duchess, just the same as I do. I've never met this Resha Valentine either, but when they get to know you the way that I have, they'll know that you're wonderful too. Not just like her, but in your own way that is completely unique. You've always been special in a way that is all your own.

And don't worry about grandpa. He'd never revoke your title. He calls all of you noble people his old friends. He adores you, just like I do, and also just like me, he'd never do something that mean to an old friend."

Elie stared at Haru with adoration. At that moment new butterflies started flapping around in her stomach, but these weren't the nervous kind of butterflies. They were the welcoming kind that always accompanied Haru's kind words, and at that moment the girl felt like they could just flap hard enough to take her off the ground.

Haru held out his hand for her to take and smiled brightly at her. "You ready, your Duchessness?"

She just accepted his hand and returned the smile tenfold. "That I am, your highness."

Haru was right. There was nothing to be afraid of. There was nobody down there but old family friends.

As they both excited the room they began to have a normal lighthearted conversation.

"You know, you look great yourself, Haru." Elie told him.

He scoffed at that comment. "I'd kill to take this heavy armor off."

"Try wearing a corset. Ha ha."

* * *

They laughed and teased each other all the way down to the stairs to meet the others for the most important meeting of their young lives.

After every one was all settled in, the six nobles, plus Haru and his grandfather all entered an n enormous sitting room with a fire going in a large fire place on the other end. They were on the forth floor, so they were very sure that no one outside could see through the windows, but the blinds were closed just in case. The titanic-sized chandelier lit the room up in substitute for sunlight.

After escorting their respective nobles into the room, the vassals were made to wait outside in the hall. There had every intention to keep their tradition to make this meeting absolutely secret, but as they all took their seats around the massive, mahogany round table their soft cushioned chairs they noticed somebody extra.

"Who's the runt?" Asked Yuma as he got comfortable, putting his feet up on the table, once again proving to everybody he was the least mannered nobleman.

They all gave him a look saying that they didn't approve of his outburst, but no one said anything because they all wanted to hear the answer to that question.

Haru looked a little embarrassed and aggravated knowing that they were speaking of him, but knowing he wasn't allowed to but in, he said nothing.

"He is one of the reasons you have all been called here today, but first, emergency meeting or not, we will all start this Estates General the way we normally do." Malakia said calmly choosing to do parlementry procedure first. "Does anybody have any news?"

They went around the room and took turns answering that question.

Yuma started. "Well if your really interested, the crops from all of the locale farms in my area have been doing better this year that other years. When it's not raining it's shining. No bad weather, so you can expect the best damn harvest in the past five years. We might even ship em out early this year."

His majesty nodded, knowing that it meant that the food industry was thriving.

The Makai Grand Baron went next. "I have decided to create a new law that would allow women to join the army. In doing so it will double the numbers in Makai's ranks. It shall take effect next year."

King Malakia smiled at the good news. He thought that was an excellent idea.

"Unfortunately, the green state has suffered more forest fires than they usually do this year thanks to our unusually dry weather this year. However it is not by much. We have it under control my liege." Said the Grand Marquis, Forritsas.

Malakia understood. Forrest fires were natural occurrences in highly wooded areas, but if the Grand Marquis said that they had the situation under control than he would trust him.

"There has been an increase of bandits in the dessert as of lately, my king. I am enforcing stricter laws when it comes to traveling in the dessert, but if this continues will you assist my people in ridding the problem, sire?" Asked Grand Contessa Maltese.

"Yes. Just give the word and I promise I shall do whatever you need my assistance for." His majesty promised.

"I am afraid I have nothing new to report, my liege. All is the same as it was last year. There is nothing worth mentioning." Said Fumia.

"Well I suppose no news is good news" his majesty replied.

It was now Elie's turn to speak and boy did she have a lot to say. She took a deep breath and prepared to let everything out. Just remember what Haru told you, she thought, they are all old family friends.

As she opened her mouth to speak, his majesty stopped her. "Young Grand Duchess Valentine, I know what it is that you must say, but would it be too rude of me to ask if I may present my news before you?"

Inwardly she sighed in relief. This would bring her more time to think of how she would explain her story. She politely nodded and answered, "Yes, of course, your majesty. Please proceed."

"Now I know that most of you have been wondering who this young gentleman sitting beside me is and why I have let him sit in with us." The king said as he motioned to Haru.

"Yeah I asked that, like three minutes ago." The Earl of Ribelya pointed out.

Everyone shushed him, so that the king could proceed. They really wanted to hear this. There must have been some good reason to let this stranger sit in on the Estates General, which is only meant for the seven of them.

King Malakia continued. "His name is Haru Glory. Son of Prince Gale Symphonia glory the VI, my son. He is my grandson by blood, which makes him the legal heir to the Symphonian throne and your future king."

Everyone's mouth hung open wide with that story, except for Elie who already knew. It was like his majesty had just grown a second head. That had to be the most unlikely thing that any of them had ever heard. They waited a few moments for him to say that he was just joking but after a few moments in silence he never did and they needed more information.

"Y-your majesty… Are you serious? What do you mean future king?" Remi gaped.

"You must explain this, my liege!" Fumia added.

"As you all know I made the law years ago that should ever any of my blood relations ever return form Outer world, their crown will be restored. Haru has lived in a place called Indiana for the first sixteen years of his life, but now he will live in the Capitol's palace with me. As customary with all royal heirs, I shall teach him all I know about how to rule, and he will take over either when I retire or die." The king explained calmly.

"How do you know this pipsqueak is really your grandkid?" Yuma asked not taking his eyes off of Haru. It made the teenager a little uncomfortable. He would have said something, if he were allowed.

"I have made certain. I knew from the moment he walked through my door. He is my son's son." Malakia replied. "You should all be rejoicing. Now the fear of the Glory dynasty ending is gone. One of my blood who I will teach myself will take over and not another family."

But they weren't fully convinced and it was Forrista who said it. "But your Majesty, this is so sudden and-"

SLAM!

The Grand Marquis was suddenly cut off by Malakia slamming his fist against the table, startling everybody.

"That is enough! Haru Glory is my next of kin and your future king! Any bad remark about him is a direct insult to your king! Now I have made up my mind, you can wine and moan about this like children, but this situation is final! Is that Understood?"

Everyone complied with a yes. His majesty hardly ever raised his voice or showed his angry disapproval, so when he ever did show it, they would know he meant it.

After a moment they all relaxed. The king apologized for his outburst but swore that he meant it.

The meeting continued when Altagis spoke up. "So I take it that your grandson's arrival is why we were all gathered here out of schedule?"

"That is part of it." His majesty answered. "But there is another urgent matter that I feel needs attending to as soon as possible, and that is where the Grand Duchess of New Elie shall take it from here."

He motioned for Elie to speak, so that she could finally get her story out.

"Ahem." Elie cleared her throat out. She glanced over at Haru who smiled at her reassuringly. It gave her the confidence she needed. She began.

"As you all must have noticed, this is my first Estates General, even though I was appointed the Grand Duchess of New Elie over six years ago. Every year since then I have had my vassal Haja fill in for me, but just recently I have found out whom that man really was.

My own vassal was found guilty of the murder of the former Grand Duke and Duchess of New Elie."

Everybody had an extremely shocked look on their faces upon learning this new information, but they all said nothing as to allow her to continue.

"As I later found out, Haja was terrorist, planning to take over Symphonia, starting with the state that I govern over. While he has been dutiful taken care of, I fear that he is not the only threat out there. He was able to amass a great deal amount of followers before he was brought to justice, and I know where he was able to find them.

Haja was… without my knowledge… Originally a Raregroovean Nobleman. His attempt to take over Symphonia was in the name of the Raregroove Empire.

Everyone was in complete shock over this terrifying news. This close call could only mean one thing, and it was Altagis who voiced it for everyone.

"This means that Raregroove has come back for its vengeance, and if one their own has come to try and take it, then…"

"It most likely means that more are to come. We may be looking at another great war coming very soon in the future." Fumia finished.

"My thoughts exactly." His majesty replied with a solemn expression painted on his face.

"I worry for the kingdom." Elie said looking down at her clenched hands. "The next take over attempt could happen to any of you as well and this time we may not be so lucky as we were-"

"Hey!" Yuma yelled, not liking what Elie was about to say. Are you trying to convince me that Ribeyla could fall into the hands of Raregroove the same way New Elie did? Don't be ridiculous! I know my vassals better than that! I'm not a naïve little girl who doesn't even know the ropes yet!"

Elie felt her heart sink in fear that she had said the wrong thing and offended someone. "N-No. I wasn't implying that Ribeyla is vulnerable! I am just worried for all of my fellow countrymen!"

"Oh yeah? Well don't be." Yuma snapped. Elie just sank into her seat, feeling too embarrassed to say anything else.

"What we need is a plan to stop Raregroove in its tracks. We must not allow this to happen again, not to any of the six states." His majesty declared. "If any of you have any ideas, than please my old friends, I beseech you."

"I say, we hittem hard! My people are tough! They can take them out an enemy in a moments notice!" Yuma yelled out.

"We cannot simply attack them." Remi tried to calm him down. "We don't know anything about their plans. Maybe Haja went rouge and the rest of Raregroove had no knowledge of his actions?"

"We cannot assume that." Forristas replied. "We never thought they would try to attack us again after the war 50 years ago and that is what put us in the position we are in now."

"Yes but surely they do not have a fraction of the power that they did back then, they wouldn't be so bold as to try something for a third time." Fumia added.

"No, Grand Earl Yuma is correct. We will invade and force them to tell us the truth!" The Grand Baron yelled.

"How will that make us any better than they are?"

"It will keep our people safe!"

It wasn't long before the entire table was squabbling with ideas going back and forth. Soon it was all just turning into mindless jabber and Haru was loosing his patience. After about two minutes of it, he couldn't take it any longer and he broke the rules.

Haru stood up and yelled. "If you would have just let Elie finish speaking, you'd have a great idea by now! She's been thinking about what to do this entire time! She already has a plan!"

The squabbling turned to silence and everybody stared at him, some with shock, and some with disgust, clearly not showing approval at his rule breaking. Slowly Haru's self-confidence was beginning to ebb. He definitely wanted Elie who was just sitting quietly there to be heard, but now he was feeling like he shouldn't have said anything.

As Elie watched her best friend slowly sit back down she was overcome with sympathy for him, knowing full well how awful it feel to say the wrong thing. She helped him the only way she could at the moment. She took the attention off of him.

"Thank you, my prince. As a matter of fact I do have a plan." She began. Her nervous features were gone and replaced with a confident smile.

"I am certain you all remember how my predecessor Grand Duchess Resha Valentine was able to use her magic to amp up the natural abilities of one soldier to near godly measures. I propose an idea similar to that."

"You plan to grant our soldiers with super abilities?" Forrista asked intrigued.

"Unfortunately I do not have the control over my magic that my grandmother did, but what I propose is what I believe to be much more useful.

"I can make a weapon, built for the sole purpose of protecting Symphonia and its people. A weapon made of pure Etherion that will be marveled at from far and wide. A weapon so powerful that it will make every country in this world know that we will not tolerate their hatred, and ill intent.

I can't focus all my power long enough to constantly indow a man with such immense power, so I will create a weapon that can do so for me, day or night, so that it will not be a drain on me or have the danger of me loosing control through the entire battle." She explained.

"What if the enemy were to steal this weapon and use it against us?" Altagis asked concerned.

"I have already thought of that. There is a safety feature to this weapon. It can only be used by one person and one person alone at a time. This person is the one who holds the true concept of protecting his fellow countrymen. Someone whom would never use it to harm his comrades and if he were to loose sight of that concept or if someone more fitting would come along, the power of said weapon will be lost to him and passed on the next one who is truly most disserving."

"If said weapon could come into existence, not only would it help our current situation, but it may continue to help us for as long as Symphonia stands." Remi stated in understanding.

The Grand Duchess Nodded, "Exactly. It would be a jewel for our nation for generations to come."

"What would you call this weapon?" Fumia asked.

"I have not thought up a name as of yet." She admitted.

His majesty stood up. "If anyone opposes this plan, please stand now."

Because no one could think of a flaw at the moment in Grand Duchess Valentine's idea no one said anything,

"And all in favor?"

Everybody stood up in support. Elie practically glowed with pride in herself.

"Then motion is carried. I believe we have gotten a great deal done this evening. The Estates General will conclude for today. Please go in peace and make yourselves at home in my palace." His majesty announced. Before he finally dismissed everyone he turned to Elie and smiled.

"My grace you may start working on your project as soon as you are ready. I am raving to hear the results."

* * *

**Oh I think you know what they're talking about. Now you can see why this is one of my favorite story arcs.**

**I think this would be a good time to answer reviews. I barely ever do that. Why not now?**

**RESHA TSUBAKI: I loved reading about the French revolution in my world history class because other cultures fascinate me, but unfortunately I don't know any French besides basic greetings. Back in 8th grade my school gave me the choice to take Spanish class or French class. I chose Spanish because it's the second most used language in the United States and I thought it would be more useful to me. But after a few years of taking it I'm still not fluent in Spanish. I regret not taking French. I like the sound of it better than Spanish anyway.**

**LIGHTECLIPSE21.0: 'You know who' is not your average bad guy. He likes to come out when the time is perfect. Believe me you'll know when its time for him to come because the stage will be set perfectly but until then, give it a little while.**

**So I guess I will see you next weekend. Any questions, comments, complaints, concerns, or anything else that starts with a 'kh' sound can be posted via reviews. I hope you try it.**

**Gangsta Out!**


	27. Gather During The Calm  Part 3

**Nobody owns Rave Master Except for Hiro Mashima, not even me.**

**Gather During The Calm Part 3

* * *

**

All of the noble's vassals and Haru and Elie's friends waited out in the hallway for the meeting to let out. It was pretty quiet. None of the vassals would talk to each other outside of their own group of comrades, just like the cliques in high school.

Nagisa looked over at the two men dressed in Makai army uniforms and assumed they were dragon race. A devious smirk came to her lips. She tapped Nanohashi's shoulder and urged him to look her way. She gave him a knowing smile and he grinned right back. They figured since they may be here a while, they might as well have a little fun.

Nagisa strolled right over to the two dragon race men, with her two comrades watching her from across the room. They knew what she was going to do and they snickered at the idea.

She tapped one of the Makai soldiers shoulder to get his attention. She put on a big adorable smile and said to them with her hand outstretched in a handshake. "Hi my name is Nagisa. I'm a Ribeyla vassal. It's nice to meet you."

She waited for their reaction. This was going to be good. Those Makai tightwads were going to flip out at the idea of a female warrior. There was nothing more fun than ruffling up rival feathers. What she got instead was something that she never saw coming.

"Bitchen Awesome, Power to the sisters!"

A woman with long wavy blond hair dressed like a resident of Makai knuckle tapped Nagisa's outstretched hand. With the force she used, it kind of hurt. This woman was stronger than she looked.

"Um, who are you?" Nagisa asked the blond who seemingly came out of nowhere as she rubbed her now sore knuckles.

The woman pointed to herself with her thumb. "Julia Runner. The best damn bitchen female worrier in all of Makai." She announced proudly.

Nagisa turned her head back to her fellow Ribeyla vassals. They could only shrug, they were just as confused as she was.

"But I thought they wouldn't allow girls to fight in the army in Makai?"

This time one of the Makai vassals that she wanted to annoy earlier spoke up. "Actually, as of next year, the Makai army will be opening its ranks to our female dragon races."

All of the Ribeyla vassals stared at the man with their mouths agape. Makai has always been such a stick in the mud; they thought they would never see the day this would happen.

That was when the tables turned and annoyers became the annoy-ies. One of the dragon race soldiers looked Nagisa up and down at her casual, peasant clothing with a raised eyebrow.

"Nice army uniform by the way. Did your people's budget cut on uniforms _and_ training now?"

That got Nanohashi and Mitsu to come over. "No! Our commander just respects us too much to force us to wear monkey outfits, besides we don't need them. We can recognize one of our own from a mile away!" Mitsu defended.

"How?" Asked Annis. "Do your just smell each other's fowl odor?"

Nanohashi's face went red with anger at that statement. "Well… Your mother!" He yelled.

"What did you just say?" Asked Salbia, his own voice rising in anger.

And the glaring stare down between the two rival vassal teams began. Their teeth were clenched in furry and you could almost see the sparks fly between them.

The vassals from the other states could only watch, feeling embarrassment for them, especially the green race. They thought to themselves, 'thank God I'm not one of those crazy competitive beings.'

A Mildesta vassal leaned over to Solosido and whispered, "their like children aren't they?"

Without even look at the man the Raybarrier vassal whispered back, "Tell me about it."

Julia was getting excited about the whole fight. She started swinging her hands and started chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Let held his head in embarrassment for his friend /crush's wild behavior.

Luckily before any of this could get any further out of hand, the door swung open, signaling that the Estates General was over for the day.

All of the nobility exited the room with much to tell. Their vassals dashed to their sides in a heart beat, partly because they wanted to hear what went on in there, and partly to protect them from the mob of peasants outside of the castle waiting to rush them for their news. Everyone was in a state of barely contained excitement.

Julia, Let, and Musica ran to Haru and Elie who had exited the room last.

"Well, out with it man, tell us what happened." Musica asked curiously.

Haru just sent him a bemused look. "Wow, man. I'm surprised to see you. Where have you been these last few weeks?"

Elie giggled at Haru's accusation. "Yeah, enjoying yourself in Reina land? You must really like having a girlfriend."

Musica rolled his eyes. "First of all, sex isn't dating. What me and Reina have is just what I like to call good old fashion fun between two randy fools."

"Uh, hello? When did the sex life of this bitch get to be so important?" Julia asked interrupting the conversation.

"Yes, she's right. I want to hear what went on in there." Let insisted, backing up his crush.

"I'll tell you what went on in there, Elie just totally owned her first Estates General!" Haru praised excitedly.

Elie looked down and blushed at her love's kind words, but at the moment she didn't feel like celebrating. The fact that they agreed to listen to her plan meant a whole new set of problems on the rise.

Haru just continued on with how it happened, not noticing her expression. "Now thanks to this Grand Duchess, Symphonia's gonna get a whole new powerful weapon the likes of which this world, and most likely Outer world have never seen before!"

"New weapon? Slow down Haru what are you talking about?" Let asked. It was clear that this was going to be good and from the look on everyone else's faces they felt the same way.

Haru was just about to explain to them about Elie's plan to use her magic to create an all new, Symphonian protecting weapon, when a new, unexpected visitor showed up to the conversation.

"Pardon me."

The group of friends all looked in the direction of the new voice and was surprised to find the king standing there.

"Oh.' Said Haru realizing his possible blunder. "Please don't tell me that what happens in the Estates General, stays in the Estates General. I am so sorry gramps. I kinda was just telling my friends about everything that happened." The teen rubbed the back of his head nervously afraid that he was in trouble or something.

His majesty just raised his hand to brush off the concerns and smiled at his grandson. "No, no. Don't worry about a thing. If the Estates General ended in a vow of silence between us all we would have said something during the meeting. Besides if the information was to never get out than why would we have such a gathering of people outside of my palace waiting for news?"

That made sense. The newly anointed prince was glad that he wasn't in trouble.

"But I did come here for a reason. Would you mind if I borrowed the Grand Duchess for a bit. There is something that I wish to speak to her about in privet." Said his majesty.

"Um. Absolutely sire." Elie responded. "Haru maybe you wouldn't mind filling in the others about my plan without me?"

"Oh. Sure no problem Elie. I promise I won't skip over any of the good parts."

They smiled before they went their separate ways, Haru going on and on about the meeting and Elie was walking arm and arm with her king, but as soon as she was out of Haru's line of vision her smile slipped off her face. She hoped that this conversation wasn't going to be about what she thought it was.

* * *

The king and the Grand Duchess walked through the halls arm and arm, like a gentleman escorting a lady. His majesty smiled down at her. "Now isn't this familiar? The last time I walked you down the halls of my castle, you were small enough to carry with one arm."

She looked up at her king. "I do not remember that."

"I believe that that is because you were such a sleepy little thing at the time." He snickered at the memory.

Elie smile back politely. "And I suppose you are planning to take my shoes off and tuck me into bed like last time?" She knew about that part, not because she remembered though, but because she was told.

The king's smile slowly slipped off his face. It was now time to get down to the matter. "No, not this time. As of lately we have more important things to worry about than a good nights rest."

His majesty led her down the hallway to a door and opened it so that they may enter. Inside of this room was not a bed like last time. It appeared to be an office, complete with a large polished wooden desk with one big cushioned chair for the desk's owner on one side and a smaller, less decorative one on the other side for guests.

Malakia motioned Elie to take a seat on the less decorative chair while he moved to sit in the larger one. Once they were all settled in he began what he wanted to say.

"I want to know, milady are you at all nervous about this plan of yours to make a new weapon from Etherion?"

She simply shook her head. "It would be an honor to do so for my kingdom."

"Yes, but that is not what I am asking. I want to know if you are nervous."

"For what reason is there to be nervous?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Deep down she was beyond nervous, she was terrified. Honesty she had no idea her plan would make it this far so she did not consider the consequences for herself, but now that it has come to this, she couldn't help be afraid of what might come.

"I know that as a Valentine, you have studied Etherion and its effects on the body when too much is used at once."

She swallowed hard, not liking where the conversation is going. He wanted her to admit her fear, to give her more doubt. She couldn't handle that. Her eyes shifted to her lap, unable to look her king in the eye. "Of course sire."

"Then you know what might happen to you if you go through with this plan, do you not?" The king pressed on.

That is what scared her the most. She knew all too well.

"The risks of unleashing Etherion are very great indeed. If I were to unleash all that power, it would envelope me, take over my psyche an possible erase my memories, personality and all that I am, leaving nothing but a scared, confused little creature who knows not who or where it is but could unleash a force mighty enough to disintegrate everything until the edge of the continent at a second's notice." Elie spoke with a clear voice, but dong so was extremely difficult. Saying it out loud made it all the more real. How it hurt to act brave.

The king nodded in understanding. He knew all too well what it was she spoke of. He was there when Resha used her powers to help win the war 50 years ago. Her empty, unfamiliar gaze, her easily startled figure, and her readiness to attack anything that came too close. Not many people knew this side of the story, the terrifying, less glorious side, but if they had seen Resha back then, they would never think of her in the same way again. It was the most pitiable sight ever.

Resha however overcame all of that when it was all over, but it still stuck in the king's mind how close she was to loosing it forever and in turn almost loosing this continent forever. The last thing he wanted was for history to repeat itself.

"I give you my word as the Grand Duchess of New Elie that I shall do my best to stay in control, but in case I don't keep my sense of being than…" This time her voice cracked. "… I beg you to do whatever you can to keep our people safe… even if that means destroying me so that Etherion won't hurt anyone."

"Madame…" His majesty just couldn't help but look on upon the poor brave girl with sympathy. It truly was unfair that she had to carry this great burden. To him she looked no different than a sad, scared little girl, and even though killing her was the last thing he wanted to do, he would do so if the worst-case scenario occurred and she lost control.

"I-I couldn't live with myself if my power were to take a person's life, and-and besides… sniff… I wouldn't want to live a life where I didn't even know who I was…"

She felt a fat tear roll off her face but she made no effort to wipe it off. If she did his majesty would see. If she just kept her head down and didn't look at him she would be fine.

There will be another meeting tomorrow. The Estates General is not over just yet. The others came all the way out here from their respective states and we want to be thereof. There is still time to think of another plan." The king offered. He wanted her to know that she didn't have to do this if there were other options. This was beyond dangerous and he couldn't live with himself if he didn't give her a way out. He meant it when he called them old friends.

Elie smiled at her king's kindness, but she shook her head no just the same. "Your majesty… You and I both know that this was the best plan. Everyone loved it and it will do wonders for Symphonia. As for the risks, there are many things that can be done to stop me from unleashing it on anybody in an uncontrolled state. You could just keep me locked up somewhere I can't hurt anybody. Just leave me there until I come back to my senses, that is if I can come back to reality with my mind in tact at all."

But that wouldn't save her, is what they both silently thought. She may become a martyr for the cause and they both knew it.

"Everybody believes that being of noble ranking is the greatest thing you could be born into." His majesty explained. "But it is so much more than a job. It is something you must be willing to give your whole self for. You have responsibilities that you can never shake off and you may even be asked to give up your life for the good of your people without question. It is not for the faint of heart."

The king stood up from his seat and looked down at the poor scared girl who sat before him. He let out a sigh knowing what it was that he had to do. "You have my word that should anything irreversible happen to you, I will stop you by any means necessary."

Elie froze at those words, her eyes wide in shock. Of course that is what she asked for but just hearing him say it all right now made the whole situation very real for her. It hit her like a ton of bricks. Now it just seemed like it was inevitable.

"…Thank you…" She whispered out. It came out as if she was out of breath. She clenched her fists in her lap.

"If you are absolutely certain of this ordeal, than I have nothing more to say to you. You may go. Would you like an escort back to your room or where ever it is that you would like to go?" Malakia offered. Noticing how flushed the young woman's face was. He could not help but fell the guilt for putting her into this situation.

"No." She managed to get out. "I would very much like to be alone now…"

Slowly the Grand Duchess stood up and trudged for the exit. Before leaving she uttered out. "Please give me until tonight… I will be ready to begin the Etherion Process… I just need… Time to write out a will and say my last goodbyes… Just in case." The words felt bitter coming out of her mouth. Then she realized that it was because some tears fell into her mouth.

"I will have a room in the basement ready for you by that time with guards posted on the outside to make certain no one comes in to bother you." The king told her.

Just as she had one foot out the door, Malakia gave her one last piece of information as a parting gift. "Please remember your Grace, Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it."

Elie gave him a genuine smile, this time not caring that he would notice her red puffy tear filled eyes.

"Be sure to send everyone my regrets for not being able to join them at the Estates General tomorrow." With those final words she left.

His majesty watched Elie walk away with a somber face. No doubt, she truly was a brave soul.

* * *

"So granddad just wanted to talk about preparations for you when you're making the weapon?" Haru asked Elie as they walked down the halls of the castle together.

They were both now dressed in much more casual attire. The flowers in Elie's hair were taken out but most of her hair still had a certain wave to it. She was very happy to be out of that corset and into a less extravagant, plain dress but it still reached the floor. She still wore a wrap but it was nothing fancy. Just to keep her warm. It had cooled down a bit now that it was getting later in the day.

Haru ditched the cape and the armor. He changed his shoes back to his normal worn in Outer world sneakers that he came with. He was now wearing noting more but a plain long sleeved shirt and pants.

Even their less formal wear would seem really nice in Outer world or even by Symphonian peasant standards.

"Yeah it was no big deal." Elie lied, choosing not to reveal any of the scary details of her plan with anyone. Only his majesty and Elie knew of the risks of Activating that much Etherion at one time and that is the way she wanted to keep it for now. There was no reason to get Haru so worried over her. In fact she was fairly certain that if Haru knew that there was a possibility that she could be loosing her entire mind, personality and memories, he'd probably go to some pretty far lengths to stop her from doing this.

Elie giggled at the image of Haru picking her up, throwing her over his shoulder and hiding her some place else so that she couldn't do anything to make that weapon.

"What so funny?" Haru asked smiling at her. Whenever he saw her smile he'd do the same thing. He always expressed that Elie had the world's most contagious smile. He thought she was thinking of a joke of some sort and he wanted to be let in on it.

"Oh just something that came up during my talk with the king. You wouldn't understand. It was a 'you had to be there moment." She lied again.

Haru would figure it out eventually that she probably wasn't going to be okay. He'd learn of the dangers to her plan, and he'd learn that she lied to him. She wanted to make sure that that wasn't going to happen until there was noting he could do to stop it.

Then her mind went to another subject.

"Hey Haru, do you remember in history class when we learned about ancient Greece?" She asked changing the subject.

"A little bit. That was last year. You know the last time you asked me if I remembered something from history class it turned out you were a Grand Duchess. Is this your way of telling me that you're a gladiator too? He smirked at her.

She laughed at the question "No. I was just thinking about the legend we learned in class."

"If we are talking about ancient Greece, you're going to have to be a lot more specific when you're talking about legends." Haru retorted.

"I mean the one about the oracle at Delphi. The story went that there was a woman who had the power to contact the gods and ask them about the future. Because of that she was sent to live in a giant marble temple on top of a mountain, with priests and bodyguards that surrounded the place and people from all over Greece would come and ask her for advice about the future. She would be paid ten times her weight in gold by kings who wanted to know if they should go to war and generals for strategic advice. She was worshiped, adored and protected." Elie explained as she remembered the story.

"Sounds cool. So what you're trying to say is that you can see the future?" Haru jokingly asked.

"No, silly." Elie retorted. "I was just thinking how hard it must have been for her.

"Yeah, I can see her problems. Living in a temple with all those riches. Whatever will she spend them on?" The boy laughed not getting what Elie was saying.

"No not that." Elie explained. "The rest of the story. She was locked up in the temple's basement all day. The only ones who were allowed to see her were the priest to relay the questions for her and feed her, and the worst part was that in order to connect with the gods she had to be put in this tiny room where she breathed in these toxic fumes all day long that put her in a deep trace. She was barely conscious most of her life!"

Haru stared at his best friend's clearly upset features. Why was she getting so upset about all of this? She was starting to worry him. "Elie what is this all about?"

"I just thought it was a really sad story, that's all." She told him, not looking him in the eye.

"Well why are you thinking about such sad things? You should be excited. When you are finished with this project of yours Symphonia is going to be a trillion times more powerful than it already is." Haru said to her with soft eyes in hopes of cheering her up from whatever was bothering her. He knew Elie long enough to know that if she was keeping something from him, than all he could do is show her the support she needed and let her tell him on her own terms.

"Yeah… You're right. I've got to start getting excited about this. It'll help everyone." She said as she leaned her head against Haru's shoulder as he walked. It made him smile that he had gotten thorough to her some how. At least that's what he thought.

"Hey, by the way you're right. That is a sad story. What happened to the Delphi lady?" He asked now interested. "Did anyone come rescue her from that miserable life?"

"No." Elie answered. "She stayed in there until Greece's power declined. Once nobody came to see her anymore for their fortune telling everyone left and she was just kicked out."

"Oh… Well at least she made it out."

"By that time her mind was practically mush from its under use." Elie added. It was not a happy story.

By the time that the story was finished they had made it to the room that the king had arranged for Elie to stay in until she was finished making the weapon. Two armored guards stood in front of it.

"Who are they?" Haru asked pointing to the two men.

"Um, they're here to make sure the place stays secure. Security is gonna really beef up around me to make sure I finish the weapon uninterrupted." Elie explained.

"Oh…" was all Haru could say. He took a glance inside the room. It was large and empty aside from the lone bed up against the wall. The stone walls made it look like a dungeon."

"You really want to stay here?" What's wrong with the room you're using now?" The prince asked looking at her like she was crazy for staying here.

"There are less things to distract me here and I already told you. It's more secure here." Elie explained as she walked in.

"Well if you say so." The teen simply said, not entirely sure about this, but it seemed as thought she was sure so that was good enough. "Well I don't want to keep you from your work so-"

before Haru could leave, Elie surprised him with a giant hug. It made him blush. This wasn't a normal friend hug. There middles were touching and her arms were wrapped around him in a way that almost begged for the moment not to end. It took him a moment to hug back thanks to the initial shock.

"What is this all about?" he asked her with a befuddled look as the hug ended.

All she could do was smile at him tenderly, unable to come up with anything to answer him with. "When I'm done making this weapon, I'll tell you all about it…"

Haru gave his friend one last look before he left. He just chalked it up to Elie being weird like she usually was.

When he was gone the heavy door was shut behind him along with a sliding steel door after that one, leaving Elie all alone.

"Haru…"She whispered as she prepared herself for what was about to come. "I'll do my best…" She put both of he hands on her heart and shut her eyes in concentration, letting more Etherion flow out than she ever had before. It caused her body a great deal of pain and it practically screamed louder with each passing second, 'stop that's enough!', but she wouldn't listen. Despite the strain it put on her, she just continued to let it flow out more and more.

"For both Symphonia… And to come out of this okay…"

The last thing she knew was a blinding light and the screaming of her body suddenly going numb.

* * *

**Lots of references to previous chapters. I don't know how long this story will be any more. Every time I say it should end somewhere, I think of a new story arc. That's okay, my aim was to create one of the longest stories in the Rave master Archive, chapter wise at least. Horray for ambition!**

**The legend of the Oracle at Delphi was actually one of my favorites from the history of ancient Greece. You should look it up. It is pretty sad, but I thought that it was pretty similar to what's going to happen to Elie, so I put that in.**

**I know a couple of you already reviewed last chapter, but Please sir, may I have some more? For this one anyway?**


	28. Gather During The Calm  End Part

**Drum roll please! And the owner of Rave master is…. Not me!**

**Gather During The Calm End Part

* * *

**

"Nobody makes smoothies like my uncle Genma, but I'd like to think that he taught me some good stuff." Haru explained to two of the castle chiefs as he mashed up some sliced fruit.

"I crushed the ice as best as I could your highness." One of the chiefs said to Haru with a bag filled with crushed up ice.

It was going to be very difficult to make smoothies without a blender, but Haru just had a huge hankering for one at the moment, so he decided to improvise. It wouldn't be nearly as good, but it would definitely be the best one he ever made without any appliances, and the palace cooks were more than willing to lend a hand.

"You said you had some milk and pasteurized yogurt in the ice box?" Haru asked wanting to make certain they had all of the ingredients they needed.

"I shall go fetch some." Replied the first chief.

The second Chief stayed behind. As she was mixing the ice and mashed fruit in a bowl, she turned to the prince and said, "This sure looks like it will make a lot."

Haru only smiled and answered. "Well I want to make sure everybody gets some. I think all the nobles would like a treat and I know my friends are going to love them. You guys should help yourselves too, for helping me out, and the rest should be saved for whoever else wants some. If there's not enough than we'll just make some more later for whoever wants some."

"That is quite generous of you, your highness." Replied the first chief as he came back with the other ingredients necessary to make the smoothies. He added them to the bowl and with much effort they kept stirring and mashing the ingredients together until they decided they could do no more. It was lumpier than any of the smoothies he had made at home made at his uncle's café, but considering they didn't have a blender, he thought they came out pretty good.

"I can't wait to give one to Elie. She and I would always go to Café Tsubomi and order these. Bet this'll help her with whatever stress she's under right now." Haru thought to himself out loud assuringly. "She could really use a break. I don't think she left that room since last night. She wasn't even at the Estates General today."

As he poured one glass for himself and one for her, he gave the two chiefs one last thank you and left. Servants would deliver the other smoothies to everyone else, but he wanted to give Elie her smoothie directly.

Little did he know what awaited him down in her cell.

* * *

"Would you just shut up and let me through?" Haru yelled at the two guards posted at Elie's door.

"Your highness for the last time, no one is allowed inside the Grand Duchess's cell!" Replied one of the armored guards in an angry tone of voice. Prince or no prince, the teen was beginning to get on the man's nerves.

"What are you talking about? She is my best friend! I should be able to see her at least one point during the day, and why would you call it a cell? If you guys are treating her like some sort of prisoner, I'm gonna get pissed!" Technically he was already pretty pissed, but he was getting more so by the minute.

"No sire, she allowed out of the room whenever she is ready to come out! The locks and extra steel door is just for her own protection."

"What if she's been banging on the door for hours and you guys didn't hear it because the door is too thick?"

"Prince Haru?"

The three guys turned their attention to the new voice. His majesty stood right there in bewilderment at the scene before him. "What is all the yelling about?" He asked.

As the two guards stood up straighter and saluted their king, Haru's anger ebbed slightly at the sight of his grandfather.

"Wow grandpa. You sure have a way of just sneaking into a conversation." Haru noted. "Tell these bone-heads to step aside. I just came to visit my best friend. She's got to be exhausted.

The two guards glared at the prince at the bonehead comment, but said nothing. His majesty's face fell a little at Haru's request. He let out a sigh. It was time he learned.

"Haru do you see that slot in the steel door?" He asked gesturing to a little metal flap on the door that looked like a mail slot. It was the slot that food was shoved in so that the Grand Duchess would not starve herself. They didn't know if she was eating any of it but they wanted her to have the option.

"Take a peak at what is inside."

Haru was confused at the request but willingly obliged if he could see what it was going on in Elie's room that was so special that no one was allowed to see her.

He put down the two smoothies he was holding and lifted up the flap expecting to see just her doing magic of some sort, but the second he opened it a bright light similar to the sun flashed in his eyes. He had to close them before it burned his rentals. It was like a tanning bed in there.

Squinting a little he tried to focus hard enough to see her. Somewhere in all of that light, he could barely make out a silhouette of what resembled a woman's figure. He tried to hold on a moment longer despite the burning light. Then, unexpectedly he saw a pair of soulless empty eyes flash in his direction. It startled him the point where he let out a yelp and jumped back away from the door, knocking over the smoothies on the ground in the process.

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN THERE?" He yelled.

His grandfather let out a sigh, knowing full well what the silver headed boy had just witnessed. "Come." He said as he walked away, gesturing the teen to follow him. "It is time you learned."

* * *

His majesty led Haru all the way up to his privet study where he had spoken to Elie just the other day. The 8-foot tall windows that lined the wall were wide-open letting in the warm rays of sunlight. Haru was still a little confused as to why he was there.

"Please take a seat." His majesty gestured for Haru to sit at a wooden round table on the far side of the room. The desk felt to formal for just speaking with his grandson alone.

As Haru sat down, Malakia went through his desk and pulled out an old dusty box from one of the bottom drawers. He then went to sit down next to Haru and open it, rummaging through all of its old contents. The teen stared at his grandfather with a raised eyebrow, wondering where this was going.

His majesty smiled fondly as he pulled out an old Photograph. It wasn't what he was looking for, but it was still something he was sure Haru would be interested in. "Look." Malakia said as he handed his grandson the photo.

Haru was shocked at first but then his face became a bright smile. In the picture was a tall man with silver hair, a little better kept then his. He was wearing a leather jacket and the happiest smile on his face that reached all the way up to his light purple eyes. His arm was wrapped around a petite woman who was about six inches shorter than him. She looked very much like Haru's sister. The woman wore a stripped red and white shirt. Her hair was strait and cut off only a little longer then her shoulders. Her brown eyes had the same warm feeling to them as her smile did.

"Is that-"

"Yes." The king answered. "Those people are your mother and father, only a few months after getting engaged to one another. This is the last picture I have of him."

Haru stared at his grandfather. He could hear a hint of loss in his voice.

"They were so happy together. I knew I had to let him go."

The teen put a hand on Malakia's shoulder for comfort. "I really miss him too."

They sat in the silence for a moment, relishing in each other's comfort, until something else caught the king's eye. "Oh now I haven't seen this in a while."

His majesty picked up a very old, worn out inking of a woman. It was in black and white, so you would never know of the woman's silver hair or what color dress she was wearing that day, but the king could remember almost immediately.

It wasn't the picture he was looking for but it was one he was happy to see just the same. "Haru." He brought it up for Haru to see. "This is your grandmother."

Haru smiled at the picture of his old grandma in her younger days. She was pretty. It was such a shame he'd never get to meet her.

"She was the Grand Contessa of Raybarrier. After she took up the title as queen when she married me, she passed her title over to her greatest vassal, Clea Maltese, Lady Remi's grandmother." Malakia explained.

"Nobility can marry royalty?" The Outer world raised prince asked. "I thought that only royalty could marry other royalty?" He remembered from old fairy tails.

The king laughed. "Well then our options would be very limited now wouldn't they? The truth is that royalty will marry a noble the majority of the time that they decide to be wedded. Marriages to another royal from another country comes up sometimes, mostly for diplomatic reasons, and the rarest is when a royal marries… Well just about anyone from any other occupation. That's why Gale's marriage to the Outer world woman took me completely by surprise. Royalty and Nobility just have a lot in common so it is the most frequent, in Symphonia anyway."

Haru laughed along with his grandfather. He was actually having a good time with him. They needed to catch up on old times and he really liked it this way. He was learning so much about his family. It was great.

Malakia originally brought him up here to tell him the truth about what was happening with Lady Elie, but it seemed that at the moment that was no longer necessary. They were laughing, having a good time, there was no reason to ruin it with such sad news. Moments like these did not come often. Why not cherish it a little while longer, but when he reached into the old box and dug around for another picture, he froze at the sight of the one he found.

It was the one he was looking for from the start. Suddenly the importance in the situation came flooding back to the king. He knew that this must be done.

This time, with a somber face, he gave Haru a new picture. "Haru, look at this one." He said as he passed it off. He waited for his grandson's reaction, not looking him in the eye until he heard him say something.

As Haru took it he was momentarily surprised at what he saw. It looked like a picture of Elie, but her hair was much longer, almost reaching her knees. She smiled happily as she posed for the painter in this black and white painting.

"Is this Elie? When was this made?" Haru asked not taking his eyes off of it.

"No, it isn't. That is her grandmother, Lady Resha Valentine, the first New Elie Grand Duchess when she was lady Elie's age."

The teen was pretty surprised by that explanation. This woman was the spitting image of his best friend. The family resemblance was uncanny. "Damn." Was the only thing Haru could say in response, forgetting that he probably shouldn't speak that way in front of his grandfather. Fortunately, Malakia just shrugged it off, more amused by the teenager's reply than offended.

"Heh heh. Yes they are both very beautiful." He laughed, but there was a hint of sadness hidden somewhere under that laugh. After a few moments of silence, the king cleared his throat to get the teen's attention. Haru looked up from the picture waiting to hear what his grandfather was going to say.

"Haru… There is a reason I have brought all of this up. It is something important that you need to know. It is about Lady Resha Valentine."

"Okaaaaayyy." He responded with a raised eyebrow, feeling as though this conversation was going to get awkward. "What about her?"

"You see, she is much more like Lady Elie than just appearances. During the war, there was one soldier she was rather fond of in particular. His name was Shiba Roses."

"I've heard of him." Haru said lighting up that for once he actually knew something about history. "He was the soldier who took down most of the Raregroove army, right?"

"Yes. You see, before Resha Valentine became the Grand Duchess she was known for, she was but a traveling gypsy, who made money by dancing in the street for coins. Her family's magic, Etherion, was but a secret that was kept inside the Valentine clan. Every first-born daughter of each generation was born with it. They were a small family. They had many more boys than girls, but they used the power they had as their main support for keeping the family alive. Despite her family history, she herself was very well educated and sophisticated almost to royalty standards.

One day, the band of gypsies came upon the Symphonian capitol. Back then we were just like any other country. Nothing stood out about us. We were not known for being very powerful, but soon we would be known for being very brave. The country of Raregroove was gaining power, trying to take over the world. It had already succeeded in taking over two other countries and was looking to add Symphonia to its list.

While in the city, it was said that Resha had fallen in love with a soldier living there. He was a few years her senior, and he was about to be shipped out to fight, but that never stopped her. She chose to stay in the city to be close to him and his home while her family moved on. No one knows what happened to the gypsies after that. Some say that they were accidently killed by Raregroove soldiers when they tried to cross the boarder, but that can neither be proven nor disproven.

On the day that this soldier she loved was to be shipped out to fight, the young Etherion girl followed the cadets close by, refusing to just let the man she loved go off and possibly die on the field of battle, she wanted to do whatever she could to help him, and to help the country she had grown accustomed to living in over time.

During one battle, witnesses said that this soldier had committed beyond human actions, taking out over 70 enemies single-handed in less than 3 minutes without so much as breaking a sweat. When he was confronted with the question how he did it, he explained that his girlfriend, who was a magic user, powered him up. That was when Resha had called in to be questioned how she did it.

When she revealed the origins of her family's power, she was immediately recruited for the war effort. With her on our side, she was able to power up our troops just by staring at them from far away in the distance. Mostly it was Shiba who she gave power to. She just worried for him the most I suppose.

However, at the time we had no idea what the consequences of her over use of Etherion would be. If I had, I would have been much more cautious, however at the time, I was only a young brazen 17 year old. I had only recently inherited the throne and I still had much to learn."

Haru listened intently to his grandfather's story, but some thing just seemed off. He couldn't understand where this story was going. He knew that Symphonia had been victorious and that in addition to returning the land they stole to their rightful countries, Symphonia acquired a lot of Raregroove's original land. What more was there?

Malakia continued. "Soon after we started using that power to help us, it quickly became too much for her. She was telling us that the strain that the magic put on her was too much and she even seemed to become sick, but I chose to ignore it. I just thought that maybe if she could just hang in there a little longer than we would win. What a selfish fool I was."

He shook his head at the memory in disgust with himself before he continued. "It wasn't before long that her mind was starting to go. She would forget things almost instantly after doing them, it seemed like half the day was a blur to her, and it only got worse. She'd forget things that are common knowledge; people that she knew all became strangers to her. She didn't remember where she was, and soon, the only thing she knew for sure was that there was something wrong with her and that was not enough to keep her together. It scared her to the point where she didn't trust anyone.

She would use her magic to lash out at anyone who got to close. Many soldiers and wizards died trying to detain her. We had to lock her up so that she wouldn't hurt anyone in what she thought was defense. It took an entire platoon and over a 100 wizards to do so. We had to spend so much time trying to stop our own greatest weapon, Raregroove almost took back the upper hand and destroyed us."

"Well then how did Symphonia win?" Haru asked.

"Luckily the sword that Shiba carried absorbed so much power from Resha's Etherion power ups that he was able to use it to finish off Raregroove. It didn't have half the power that it would have if Resha were still empowering him, but it still had ten amazing powers that it was able to use on command."

"Wait!" Haru had to interrupt him to make sure of what he had been hoping for. "I've been meaning to ask this for a while now. Is the reason the sword called 'Ten powers' because it actually has-?"

"Yes." He answered. "When Resha was lending him some of her power, it was said he could command so many powers, he was unable to stop and count them all, but when she could no longer do that, his sword only absorbed enough magic to use ten of its powers, or so it has been said."

Haru looked back at that time he was able to outrun the guards who were chasing him in New Elie, and how he was able to cause Deep snow to partially explode on the boarder. He never knew how this was possible, but now it was as if everything was explained. "Were two of the powers the sword could use super speed and blowing things up?"

"Why as a matter of fact, yes I believe that's correct." His majesty replied, a little surprised that Haru knew that. "Along with the power to freeze, create fire, cut through intangible objects and a few others. Each power came with its own name, but I cannot recall them all at the moment."

"Cool…" Haru muttered to himself. Now he owned that magic sword. Who cares if it wasn't as powerful as when Resha was juicing it up. Ten powers ruled! Suddenly Haru was very excited. He wanted to do some sword training right at that moment to see how it worked. He wanted to become as good at using a sword like that as possible!

"Thanks so much for telling me all this gramps! I-"

"Wait a moment." The king called out to his grandson just as the teen was about to leave. Haru stopped and looked back at the old man, waiting for what else he needed to explain. "You don't understand the point of my story."

Haru made himself comfortable again. What more could there possibly be to that?

"Prince Haru, what happened to lady Resha was terrifyingly dangerous! Her power caused her to grow mentally ill. She had no recollection of who she was or who the people around her were. All she knew was Etherion and she did not hesitate to use it on anybody who so much as came within a few feet of her. She hurt herself and others."

"Yeah, but everything turned out okay right? I mean she obviously lived after the war to get her title and have a kid." The boy asked suddenly feeling a little worried with where this was going once more. His grandfather wouldn't put so much emphasis on that particular detail unless it was important. Suddenly sword training felt like something that could take a back seat at the moment. He had to hear this.

"Haru…" Malakia said sternly, looking his grandson strait in the eye. "When Etherion took over Resha… the woman glowed a bright light and her eyes had a calm but empty soulless look to them… Just like how Lady Elie is right now."

Haru couldn't help but look at his grandfather in a stunned silence with a raised eyebrow. He had to be joking. There was no other way to describe this scenario. He didn't mean it.

The boy let out a laugh to lighten the now damp mood, but there was obvious fear in it. "You can't mean that… The same thing that happened to Resha… Is now happening to Elie… Right…?"

At fist the king could not answer. He did not have the courage to look his poor grandchild in the eye and confirm such an awful idea, but the longer he stayed quiet, the more in set in.

"B-but Resha was okay… Right?" He asked trying to find hope.

After a moment of thinking about how to answer that question the king said, "After a while, Etherion began to calm down within her and after a lot of pain and anguish, she regained her memories, just in time to learn that her beloved was killed on the battlefield, as he won our war for us. We would have given Shiba a title as well if he had lived, but we decided that we would just give all of the extra land we acquired from Raregroove to Lady Resha as a thank you. I dubbed her nobility and a few months later she bore her only child. We believed it was Shiba's. She didn't live to be very old. Only long enough to see her son come of age. She was never the same after she snapped out of her Etherion control.

Madame Resha was an expert at controlling Etherion. Madame Elie… Well… She learned a little bit of magic as a child and I know she has been relearning it now that her power is unsealed… but… If Grand Duchess Resha, who was practically the best couldn't handle it then… I don't know how good Madame Elie's chances are…"

Haru stared at the old king for a moment with wide eyes. It was a lot to take in. Then the silence was broken suddenly when Haru just roughly stood up, knocking over his chair in the process. He had an angry, determined expression all over his features as he marched to the door.

"Prince Haru where are you going?" Demanded the king, he assumed he already knew the answer, but he had to know for sure.

"I need to speak with Elie. I need to ask her if she knows who I am or if I've already lost her." He replied in a determined tone, clearly too upset to glance back at the king.

"I forbid it!" The king demanded.

"You forbid it?" The prince asked furiously, glancing back at his grandfather at last. "That young woman has been my very best friend for the past six years! Through thick and thin, we have been there for each other for whatever, whenever, and now you tell me this? You locked her up like the Oracle at Delphi!"

Ignoring what that last comment meant the king commanded in a hash tone, "She was the one who suggested it! She knew the consequences of her actions! I even gave her a way out, but was the one who decided this to be for the best and I respected her decision, and don't you ever raise your voice to me, young man! You forget who I am!"

Haru did feel bad about yelling at his own grandpa. It really wasn't his fault. It was just a bad situation all togerher. If he were anyone else he probably would have gotten in trouble for speaking that way to the king. Now that he knew the truth, his fury was beginning to ebb away and it was replaced by sadness and fear for his friend.

"I want to see her." He muttered sadly, just loud enough for his majesty to hear. Malakia's anger also dissipated at the sight of his poor grandson's crestfallen face.

"I know…" He said sullenly. "But you must understand that she is not well at the moment. She might hurt you or someone else, or herself. If that were to happen she might never forgive herself. Lady Resha didn't and that may have lead to her early death."

The old king walked over to his grandson and put a hand on his shoulder for support. "All we can do now is leave her alone and hope that she was able to do what it was she set out to do before she lost control to Etherion…"

The two Glory men hugged each other in support; only hoping it wouldn't get worse than this.

* * *

Meanwhile somewhere not far from the capitol palace, a dark and sinister man was scheming. It would not be long before his newest plan would be put into action. His Castle in New Elie might be lost to him now, but it would not set him back at all. Soon he would take over a new castle and this time, everyone in worlds would know about it and never forget it. It would be a day that went down in history for everyone.

* * *

**Sorry this chapter seemed like filler, but I wanted them to do something nice and peaceful for once, so Haru made smoothies and he and his grandfather had a nice boding afternoon. I hate ending this story arc on a filler note, but there is a reason why I wanted to give them a break for a change. Next arc a whole lot stuff that can only be described as total epic holy crapness ensues. Trust me. You won't want to miss it.**

**However next chapter the calm is over and the storm arrives. Board up your windows people, the hurricane is here, so stay indoors but near your computers to review.**

**Thank you, bye bye!**


	29. The Guillotine Blade Comes Down  Part 1

**Let's see, I need a good disclaimer to explain that I don't own Rave Master… Oh wait, that works.**

**The Guillotine Blade Comes Down Part 1

* * *

**

It had to be almost midnight. Haru wasn't used to not having an alarm clock with bright letters showing him the time in his bedroom. In the room his grandfather set up for him, there was one old fashion clock all the way on the other side of the room and it was much too dark to see it clearly at the moment so Haru couldn't be sure of the time exactly. All he knew for sure was that it was late.

The teenager sighed for what had to have been the millionth time that night. He knew he should be getting to sleep, but he just felt so wired. It was the kind of feeling where it felt so difficult to just sit still. The silver haired prince wanted nothing more than to get up and pace around his room until he thought of a better use of his pent up energy.

He knew why he couldn't sleep. The image of the way he saw Elie earlier today just would not leave his head. He had never seen her like that before and he did not mean the way she glowed like the sun. He meant those empty, lost eyes that he had only barely caught a glimpse of before he turned away in pure shock. Thinking it over, He was more sure then ever that not only was his grandfather's story true, but there was no doubt the worst was happening to his best friend.

Those empty, confused eyes kept him up at night. How was he supposed to sleep while she was in a basement cell, in her condition?

Now he knew why granddad had waited a while before telling him what was happening to Elie. The Outer world raised boy didn't think he could take much more of this. He had to get up. He had to do something. Obviously just lying in bed doing nothing was getting him nowhere.

He got up from his luxurious bed, careful not to wake Plue was snoring peacefully beside him unlike the prince, he was able to get to sleep, and he envied that. Then he left his sleeping quarters just to walk around the halls, hoping that could clear his head.

After wandering around for a while, he suddenly felt like he should have put on something warmer. At the moment all he was wear was a pare of pants. He should have at least put on some slippers or a shirt. It dawned on him how chilly it was without his bed or sheets. He would have gone back for them but at this point he didn't know how to get back. The halls of the castle were harder to recognize in the dark of night, but he wasn't worried. He knew that if he'd just keep wandering around he'd come by his room eventually and it wasn't as if he was tired yet. He was more concerned with the cold than being lost.

After rounding a few corners and strolling down a few flights of stairs, Haru came upon a room that he knew well. It was the kitchen; he knew he shouldn't have been worried. He found said place so easily because he noticed the lights were still on and he saw somebody's shadow fiddling around in there. Making sure he was extra quiet, Haru tiptoed his way over to see whom it was. The boy smirked right away upon the sight of his friend. Now was the perfect time to make himself known.

"Hey Musica!"

Musica jumped in the air at least a few inches from the surprise. The last thing he expected was anybody to be up at this time of night so he was in no way prepared for Haru's sudden arrival.

Upon getting his Barings back he turned his head to glare at the Outer worlder who just smirked back at him for getting the jump on the oh so great Silver Rhythm gang leader.

"Shouldn't you be asleep, 'your highness'?" Musica asked putting a mocking tone on the words 'your highness'. Like Haru he still had trouble accepting the idea of him being the future ruler of the country.

Haru raised his eyebrow as he made himself comfortable in on a kitchen barstool. He leaned forward putting his elbows on the table. "Shouldn't you?" He also mocked.

"I just came down here to make a sandwich as a late night snack. Musica grumbled.

"Oooh. Your vassal girlfriend takes a lot out of you?" Haru joked.

Musica faced Haru, putting his own hands down on the counter and leaned toward him. "We are not going out. We are just fooling around. " Musica explained.

Haru wasn't quite sure he understood. His uncle and older sister always taught him that if you want to sleep with a girl, especially more than once, you should make that person your girlfriend first, and you had to get her to agree. "I don't get it. If you want to sleep with someone than you must really like that person right?"

"Musica snickered at that theory. "Man, you live in a sweet little world, don't cha kid? Now that was my excuse, what's yours for being up this late?"

Haru's face fell. "I couldn't sleep. Do I need more of an excuse?" The teen rested his chin in his hand as he pouted.

"So Bad dream? Feeling sick? Wired on sugar? Help me out here. Why couldn't you sleep?" Musica prodded.

"I just don't want to talk about it!" Haru replied in a snarky voice, not even bothering to look at his friend.

"So none of the above I take it?"

Now Haru was glaring at the gang leader. "Fine, you wanna know what's wrong? Elie's well being is being sacrificed to make that special weapon of hers!"

Musica stared at the teen, not know what to say. That was a bombshell the teen just unleashed and he wasn't yet 100% sure what Haru had meant. All he knew was that that wasn't on his list of possible reasons why a person wouldn't be able to get to sleep at night at all.

When Musica didn't respond Haru just continued. "Yeah. I made the same face. I just found out today. They didn't tell anyone because they were afraid I'd try to stop her. Of course I want to stop her from doing this! She shouldn't being doing it!"

After Haru's little angry rant, Musica shook himself out of his stupor and responded. "Whoa, whoa, let's recap this. Elie is going to be what? How? When? And where was I when this was decided?

"Evidently all that magic is taking over Elie's mind and soul. The power's too much for her to take and it's destroying her personality and memories. I saw it with my own eyes. It's already happening. I just might loose her, Musica. There's a huge possibility that she'll never go back to the way she was."

The Outer world teenager was supposed to say 'we just might loose her', but instead he said 'I just might loose her'. On any other occasion Musica would be teasing the heck out of Haru for that slip up, but at the moment he was focused on other things.

"Well… Um… I'm sure everything will be… fine?" He tried. The gangbanger was in no way good at consoling people. Nobody helped him when his parents died and he was left on the street with nothing to do but become a thief to survive. No one consoled him when he felt screwed over by the new, New Elie laws that were made when the Grand Duchess was in hiding, and as a result of it all he was never the mushy kind of person who let people cry on his shoulders. Even when he was recruiting thugs who were in the same boat as him for a gang. He didn't baby them and they didn't do that for him.

Besides, he wouldn't know what to say to Haru. He cared a lot about Elie too. She was still a member of his gang and he treated all his members like family. Still he couldn't help but sense that if something were to happen to that little noblewoman, Haru would be the most upset. He didn't want to lie to the guy if everything wasn't going to be all right but that was all he could come up with at the time.

He gave the prince a long incredulous look. The poor guy looked miserable. Looks like this time getting all his feelings off his chest just made it worse, because at the moment his entire face was in his hands. Musica couldn't tell if the prince was crying. He was being awfully quiet, but he knew he was suffering pretty badly.

He let out a sigh. Thinking that he might as well give consoling another shot. He put a hand on Haru's shoulder. "Listen pal, I-"

Musica stopped when he suddenly heard something. After letting Haru sneak up on him, the gangbanger made up his mind that he wouldn't let his guard down again that night. It was a big castle and it could be anyone out at this time of night, but something was strange about the person that he had just heard. The man had learned to pick up on what sounded like someone unfamiliar and there was definitely something unfamiliar about this person.

"Musica?" Haru asked when he noticed his friend become deathly quiet. Musica shushed him immediately so he could hear it better. He didn't have dragon race ears like Let or Julia and he needed to really strain himself to hear it.

Haru was not so concerned about whoever it was walking around, either because he didn't hear it or it just wasn't important enough for him to pay attention to, but if the prince had the same experience of being a wanted criminal and had bounty hunters after him like Musica had for the past few years than he would know the sound of an unfriendly as oppose to a buddy too.

Who ever it was, was walking very cautiously. They took slow and soft steps as to make as little noise as possible, but that still was a challenge because from the sound of it they were wearing heavy boots. The gangbanger could hear the rustling of thick armor moving about and somebody holding a type of weapon that he couldn't identify.

Now why would anybody be dressed like that and wandering about at this time of night. The palace night guards had already finished their nightly rounds and should be stationed in their usual spots. It could be that the gang leader was just hearing things. His ears weren't perfect and a castle was different from a forest, but it was still better to be safe than sorry and it almost sounded like who ever this mysterious person was, they were coming closer.

All the while, Haru stared up at his friend with a very confused expression. He had no idea what Musica was doing. All he knew was that the guy wanted the prince to be quiet, so he obliged but still never took his eyes off his friend, and waited for whatever was going to happen, to happen.

Slowly, Musica rounded the corner of the kitchen counter, trying to make as little sound as possible in hopes that he could sneak up on the stranger instead of the other way around. Holding his breath and taking large, soft steps, he made his way to the kitchen door. He grabbed the handle and opened it as slowly and as quietly as he could to reveal the silhouette of a soldier with a weapon in hand standing there, also creeping around.

So far the stranger had not yet met Musica's gaze, but when the silver claimer opened the door too far and it made a creak, the stranger's head snapped in his direction and their eyes met.

The stranger was fast, but not as fast as Musica. The shadowed man charged at the silver claimer, a lance in hand, prepared to stab the man in the gut. Using instincts Musica acquired for survival, He side stepped the man and tripped him at the last second, causing him to fall flat on his face. Unfazed by fall, the stranger quickly tried to get up, but Musica used his silver to try and keep him down. Once he was tied up, Haru snapped into action and jumped in. He gave the man a swift punch to the face, knocking him unconscious.

Both teenage boys panted heavily at what had just occurred. They could have been killed just a second ago. If they didn't act fast the man would have had them for sure. They looked at each other. Neither of them said it out loud but they were thinking the same thing. The two of them made a pretty good team.

Suddenly, the two snapped out of their thoughts when they heard the man they had just defeated come back to consciousness. The beaten man lifted his arm the best he could to his pocket. He had to give it much effort, partly because of the pain he was in, and partly because the silver rope that was still tied around him was restricting his movements.

He pulled out a walkie-talkie and shakily brought it to his face. Musica raised his eyebrow. He had never seen a device like that before. Haru had, but he had no idea where this guy could get one. That's when it hit him, Haja was able to get access to an Outer world portal and this guy just tried to assassinate him! He must be a Raregroovian soldier!

As if that didn't scare him enough, what the stranger had just spoken into the walkie-talkie made the color in his face drain.

"Man down… We've been found out! Bring back up!"

''WE'VE' been found out?' That meant there was more than one! There were Raregroovian soldiers running around the palace where all of the nobility were currently staying. Crap!

Haru grabbed the man by the caller and hoisted him up to look him in the eye. "How many more are there? What are you guys doing here?" He shouted franticly, but at that moment, the man's eyes rolled back into his skull and he fell back into unconsciousness.

Haru let go of him and stood up. "Musica, we've got trouble! The enemy has found a way into the palace!"

"We've got to warn everybody!" Musica yelled as he transformed his silver back to normal. He no longer needed to contain the guy since he was already down and out.

"I need to get back to my room and get my sword!" Haru yelled back. He couldn't fight without it.

"You run back up there and go get it. If you pass anybody's room on the way, wake them up." Musica ordered. He punched his palm. "I'll get a head start and beat as many down as I can."

The prince nodded before they split up. It looked like the night was just beginning.

* * *

Julia slept soundly in her bed, snoring like a beast. She lay in blissful sleep, until something interesting reached her nostrils. It was a known fact that dragon race's were light sleepers. Their senses were much stronger than that of a human's. It couldn't be helped.

At first she just ignored the smell of man and tried to go back to sleep, not even bothering to open her eyes, until she also heard footsteps and actually felt the presence of someone in her room. Now she knew something was up. Her eyes snapped open to reveal the sight of a man standing over her with a foreign looking weapon in had only a few inches from her face.

"Don't move." The man whispered threateningly to her.

Julia didn't move anything besides her lips. Which at the moment was all she needed. She blew a big fireball into the face of the threatening man sending him back screaming.

The man yelled out in agony. His face was on fire, but that wasn't going to save him from what Julia was about to do next. The girl jumped out of her bed and sprang towards the man, knocking him to the floor and out of commission. She took pity on him and put the fire out. He was out cold and pretty badly burnt, but he would live. Julia was just miffed at being woken up in such a rude way.

The female dragon race took a glance at the weapon the man was holding. It was made of metal, but it came in such an odd shape that Julia had never seen before. It wasn't pointy. How was anybody suppose to stab with something like that?

Well that was just one of the questions she would ask when she find out what was going on. It wasn't as if the woman could just go back to sleep with a burned, unconscious man who just tried to kill her on her bedroom floor.

The woman put on her robe and bolted out of the door. What was going on?

As she stepped out of her room and her eyes went wide. In the hallway was at least half a dozen men dressed the same way as the one she had just encountered. They all were armed. Some with weapons she recognized, others with strange new ones, like the one she had just seen her assassin use.

Some of the men were running through the halls. There were at least three at the other end in the middle of a fight. That's when she finally noticed Let. He was in the middle of a brawl, doing his best to take out the three guys who had ganged up on him. Even though he was in human form at that moment, he held his ground well.

"Julia!" He called out to her, noticing her. "I had a nightmare that the palace was being taken over by freaks! Can I sleep with you tonight to be safe?" He teased. He wasn't even scared by the threat this new enemy posed, but it did appear that he had his hands full.

Julia smirked at the comment and was about to respond when one of the assassins suddenly grabbed her arm. "Comere, you!" He yelled as he pulled at her.

Julia only recognized it as a minor inconvenience and flipped the guy onto his back. She then proceeded to join her friend in the fight.

"Nobody told me there was going to be a party at this hour." She jested as she threw a punch at the enemy, taking out one more.

""Let's dance anyway." The male dragon race retorted as he kicked another enemy in the gut.

It only took the two of them a few minutes to take out the enemies, but before they could even do anything else, a dozen more rounded the corner, ready for a fight.

The two dragon race's found it annoying, but they didn't complain. They just put up their fists. What's a few more anyway?

They were just about to unleash hell upon the enemy when all of a sudden they heard a thundering blast from behind them and the screams of many more men. They tuned their heads in surprise. What in the world was that?

Their question was answered when two dragons appeared from around the corner in single file. They were just barely big enough to fit though the hallways but thanks to their expert training they had no complaints and they still managed to maneuver well in the little space they were given.

"Annis! Salbia! Took you long enough! I don't suppose either of you got an invite to this shindig?" Julia yelled cockily, recognizing the two dragons from her hometown.

"The screams that we heard all the way down from our sleeping quarters were invitation enough." Came another voice.

Let and Julia did not notice him at first but The Grand Baron of Makai was standing in between his two vassals. They were so big he could not be seen nor touched from either the back or front. Perfect protection. The nobleman would have been in dragon form too, but his form was much too big.

"Sir, do you really think it is safe to be out here?" Let asked as he went back to fighting the enemy.

"Mind your elders boy. I have plenty of fight left inside of me." Altagis teased as he took his fighting stance, ready to run from the cover his two vassals offered him.

The five dragon races were ready for action. Now if only they knew why and how this battle was taking place.

* * *

"Nagisa!" Yelled Mitsu to his fellow vassal as he dodged a swing from an enemy sword.

"Yeah?" She asked as she blocked some one else's oncoming attack

"I'm really glad you were able to come. There are a lot of these freaks for even us to handle!"

This time it was their nobleman who interjected. "Will you kids quit moving your mouths and start moving your asses? Now ain't the time for chit chat!"

Not only was the Earl of Ribelya fighting along side his own vassals, he was taking on more enemy soldiers than any of them and winning.

They weren't the only one's fighting. After hearing a ruckus that was loud enough to wake up even the deepest of sleepers, all of the nobility had gotten up from their respected quarters to check it out. That's when they ran into the assassin army. Yuma ran to Fumia's room and after seeing that she was okay, they had decided to run to Forrista's room and then Remi would be next. They fought off any enemy that came their way but it seemed as though there were just too many to keep track of. It looked as though it would be a while before they made it to the Grand Marquis quarters to secure his safety.

"I am very glad I didn't bring my sister here." The Grand Governess whispered to herself. She did what she could to contribute to the fight, however she was not nearly as powerful as the rest of her allies, especially when she was away from the sea. Not to mention that using this much power for fighting would cause her transformation spell to wear off quicker. All she could do was try her hardest to provide back up when the others needed it and stay out of their way.

That was when one of her vassals saw somebody sneak up behind the Grand Governess. He had one of the Outer world weapons that they had now come to understand were deadly.

"Milady, look out!" He shouted to her, but there was no way to reach her in time.

The assassin was just about to put a bullet threw the woman's head when all of a sudden it seemed like she was much shorter. The time limit had just run out on her transformation spell, and with no legs to stand on, she fell to the floor, landing on her own fin and unintentionally dodging a bullet in the process.

The assassin was momentarily confused by what had just occurred and she took full advantage of that. With one big swoop of her tail, she knocked the man off his feet.

"Why you…" Cursed the man as he slowly got back up. It was clear that that stunt had hurt him but not enough to take him out. That was bad news for Fumia. Thanks to her tail, she would be unable to move properly. She would not be able to get out of the way, and the rest of her allies were too busy in battles of their own to help her.

The assassin took aim at the woman, but never had the chance to pull the trigger. The grand Governess's eyes went wide at the unexpected occurrence that she had just witnessed. It was as is some sort of rope had come alive, wrapped around the enemies' feet and hoisted him into the air, causing him to drop his weapon to the floor in the process.

Upon closer inspection Fumia smiled realizing that it was not a rope that tied him up at all but a vine. She turned her head around to look into the friendly face she was expecting.

"Lord Forrista!" She yelled out happy to see him.

He smiled back. He was lucky to show up at just the right moment. He and his vassals had the ability to control plants and that would defiantly be very helpful in this fight.

* * *

"AHHH!" Lady Remi screamed as she covered her ears and cowered. A bullet had just narrowly missed her head, but she didn't know that. All she knew was that a strange man was aiming a device at her, twitched his finger, and the polished marble wall beside her head cracked and broke apart at the sound of thunder.

She was regretting leaving her room when she heard that scream; it was lucky that she wasn't alone.

"Get away from my Grand Contessa!" Screamed Solosido as he charged at the stranger with the device, but he was not quick enough. The assassin turned to him and shot at him.

BANG!

The vassal didn't know how it happened. It all happened so quickly. White-hot pain exploded in his right forearm as he witnessed some of his flesh exploded with blood. He dropped his weapon to the ground and the sound of it clanging to the floor resonated all around them as the man fell to his knees clutching his injured arm.

He screamed out in a tortured pain. He had never been shot before. He didn't even know what that was.

"GYAAAAHHHHH!"

"SOLOSIDOOOOO!"

The only sound that could be heard above the vassal's scream was the Grand Contessa's. Her eyes went wide enough to fall out of their sockets, with big fat tears filling them almost half way. She covered her mouth in pure shock. The worst possible case scenario had just occurred before her very eyes.

Now that her vassal could no longer fight, it was Grand Contessa Maltese's turn to suffer. The man aimed his gun back in her direction. The young woman was too shocked to know what to do, but just as the enemy was about to pull the trigger once more, he was tackled to the ground by an unforeseen force.

The Symphonian prince Haru Glory had pushed the man, causing him to fall to his side and once again narrowly miss the noblewoman.

Haru was just lucky that his room was closest to Lady Remi's quarters or else she and her vassal would have been done for, but now that the prince had got his sword, he was sure he could protect anybody who needed him.

Haru stared down at the man he had just blindsided readily holding his large sword in a defensive position. Just in time as his enemy began to get up, the blade transformed into one of its ten powered forms.

The assassin brought up his gun and Haru brought up his sword. Almost at the same time, they fired away. The assassin used bullets but Haru had another means of attack in mind. Before the bullets could connect, the sword blew them away. Through the pure force of magic, Haru's sword created hurricane winds that blew away the threat, and when it was over the enemy couldn't even move, which meant that the Outer worlder didn't need any other special power to finish him off.

The blade transformed back to normal and he slashed at the assassin. The cut wasn't deep enough to kill him but it would keep him out of commission for a while.

Silently Haru thanked his grandfather for explaining how to use the sword's power. That Melforce blade came in handy. Then he turned to the ones he was protecting. Remi held her vassal's upper torso in her arms while he nurtured his own wound. They both stared at the prince in shock. Neither of them had ever seen anything like that before.

"You two should go hide and get that wound looked at." Haru instructed.

The sound of their prince addressing them snapped them out of their stupor. "Uh, yes your highness." Remi answered, for once she was at a loss for words.

She wanted to ask him what was going on but before she could find her words, the prince ran off to see if anyone else needed him.

She thought about following him but she realized he was right. Solosido came first. She helped the vassal back into her room. He leaned on her for support as he slung his good arm over her shoulder. Silently, the young noblewoman prayed that everything would be all right.

* * *

It wasn't before long that the entire castle was in a frenzy. The previous screams heard from around the palace, not to mention the sound of the fighting itself had awoken everybody from their slumber. The palace guards and the all of the vassals raced around the entire west wing of the castle, defeating every blasted enemy that they came across.

Soon the once calm and sleeping palace had now become a battlefield. The assassins were very powerful against the castle guards, especially when they used their Outer world weapons, but the vassals were more than a match for them. Not even when they caught them by surprise did the enemy make much of a dent in the small vassal army.

However that was the problem. The vassal army was extremely powerful, but it was also small. Even with the nobility's men teaming up with the king's men, there was not even 100 soldiers in their ranks and any other member of the Symphonian army wasn't even in the district at the moment.

The assassin army seemed endless. There was no way to tell how many there were. It was scary because it seemed as if when one enemy was defeated, two or three more popped up in their place. Still the vassals fought on for their country to the bitter end.

"This way your majesty!" Reina yelled as she led her king down the corridors to a secret bunker in the basement for safety in times of emergency. Since the castle was built it was rarely ever used but they were glad they had it now.

So far they only ran into two assassins, but the silver claiming woman was able to defeat both in just 10 seconds for each of them. With her around, no one was going to lay a hand on king Malakia.

"Madame Reina, once we get to the bunker I want you to turn around and gather up as many of my old friends as possible, as well as anyone else who cannot fight." His majesty yelled as he followed behind only a few feet behind her. If he could than he would go rounding up the nobles themselves, but he knew he would only get in the way. He was no spring chicken anymore and as the king if anything happened to him then the enemy would win.

"Understood!" She turned her head over her shoulder and called back to her superior. Unfortunately this action caused her to run right into a man. She gasped. How could she be so careless as to forget to watch where she was going? She had the responsibility of utmost importance right now; protecting his majesty and here she was running them both strait into the enemy? She quickly caught her own mistake in less than a second and was about to attack when suddenly realization hit her.

"Oh Musica." She said as she blinked at the man in front of her. He made the same face as her. Apparently the same thing was going through his head at the moment because he also looked like he was about to attack.

The vassal's surprised look turned to one of annoyance. "Look, I'm on the job right now. I don't have time for one of our little 'sessions'."

Musica mocked a look of hurt. "Jeez, we're in the middle of a battle ground. Don't you think I figured that out for myself, I have other things on my mind besides that you know? By the way, I'd take the king this way if I were you." He said pointing in the direction behind him. "I took out all the freaks over there so it's safe."

Both the king and his vassal looked at the gang leader in both surprise and delight. His majesty muttered the word "Extraordinary" at Musica's performance of action.

"Thanks Musica." Reina replied.

"Hey don't mention- OAF!" Right in the middle of his sentence, the gangbanger was toppled over by a teenager that seemingly came out of nowhere. At first Reina got ready to attack the new foe, but on further inspection she saw that it was the dizzy prince who had just tripped and fell into the silver claimer.

"Get off me." Musica snapped as he pushed Haru off of him.

"Sorry man." Haru muttered as he rubbed the back of his sore head in the spot where he had it when he fell. "I hurried back as soon as I got my sword, but I kinda tripped on the way back. By the way, Lady Remi and Solosido are all right when I last saw them but I'd still send someone to go check on them just in case. They did get a pretty bad beating by the bad guys."

"Well it's a relief to know that you're safe."

Haru looked up at the sound of the new voice and smiled upon learning it was his grandfather. "Granddad! Aw man is it good to see you in one piece. The palace has turned into a mad house!"

"Well at least we were able to confirm that all of the enemies are only on the west wing of the castle." Reina stated. "If we can just get the nobility to safety, then the vassals and palace guards can take care of the rest of the freak show."

The king did not look pleased with that at all. In fact his eyebrows furrowed with worry. "Yes that's the strange part."

Everyone looked at the old king for an explanation of what he meant. "Don't you think that it's odd that the enemy is only keeping to one section of the castle?"

"Aren't all of the nobility's quarters there? They want to take out all of them plus us don't they?" Haru asked.

"MOST of the nobility's quarters are there. But there is one more noblewoman in the east wing's basement. What if this attack was staged so that all of the vassals would come to the West wing and there would be less people protecting her? What if it's her they're after?" The king assumed.

Haru's face went pale at the sound of that theory. They had to get Elie's room now!

* * *

**DUN! DUN! DUUUUNNNN!**

**I hope you like this action in the castle chapter. I didn't know if any of you had gotten enough of that stuff back in the 'Tanking Back The Homeland' story arc.**

**I got the idea for this chapter from the movie X men II (the best X men movie out of all four of them in my opinion.) I loved that scene where the anti mutant organization broke into the school in the middle of the night and starting knocking kids out with dart gun so that they could kidnap them, but then some of the more powerful mutants wake up and start fighting off the bad guys and try to get the little one's to safety.**

**The point is I liked that movie.**

**RESHA TSUBAKI: If there's something that I wasn't clear on then let me know. I'll tell you anything that won't reveal spoilers. Oh and as for Cattleya, her role in the story is done. She wanted to say in Indiana. She gave a lot of excuses as to why she didn't want to go and after that close call with Lance, she didn't want to risk her life by heading into a strange world where people like him can be found. She's not the adventures type. Sorry.**

**So guess what. Next chapter you get to see a character who you haven't seen for a long time and I know you'll be happy with his return, I think most of you know who I'm talking about, but don't spoil it for those who don't. (hint, hint Lighteclipse0.1)**

**I'll see you all next Friday. Review please!**


	30. the Guillotine Blade Comes Down  Part 2

**I keep telling you I don't own Rave Master. When will you people believe me?**

**The Guillotine Blade comes down Part 2

* * *

**

The royal Glory family plus Musica and Reina ran as fast as they could through the hallways of the Capitol palace. They dashed around corridors and down staircases all the way to the basement of the east wing. They kept running until the beautifully decorated polished marble halls lit up by rich candles became stone brick walls lit by torches indicating they were getting closer to the basement.

They ran into more trouble on the way, but with the way Haru was feeling at the moment no Assassin could last more than seven seconds against the frantic Prince. The further they got away from the west wing they less people they saw, bad guys and good guys alike. It scared Haru even further because it supported the original theory that the assassins were only meant to keep everyone busy in the west wing so that they could get to Elie more easily. Killing any royals or nobles would only be icing on the cake for them. They wanted Etherion.

Haru ran faster than everyone else at the front of the group. He was breathing heavy and beads of sweat would roll down from his forehead and into his eyes, but he only whipped them away with the hand that wasn't clutching his sword for dear life. With all the running he had done that night and with the lack of sleep he had that night to support him, his legs were becoming numb and rubbery, but to him all of those things could be pushed aside. Elie was the most important concern of his right now, and if this theory was correct than the top Raregroovian fighters were probably the ones doing the actual kidnapping while the assassins were just expendable lackeys to them. They must have been the best to be able to sneak into the east wing undetected.

The prince mentally slapped himself for thinking like that. He couldn't be worried about how tough these guys were. If he started thinking about that he might get scared. No matter whatever happened that night, he had to remember the promise he made to himself and to Elie. He would protect her. He would not even think of running when she was in need. This would not be a repeat of the night of the school dance in Outer world.

He knew he could save her and anybody who needed him. He just had to focus!

As they rounded the corner to where Elie's cell would be, they stopped dead in their tracks. Their faces flushed and their mouths hung open agape at the sight before them. The two soldiers, who guarded the entrance to the Grand Duchess's cell, were beyond dead. Their bodies had been completely slaughtered to the point where one would question whether or not they were once human. Blood and chunks of flesh wallpapered and littered nearly every inch of the hallway. A few appendages could barely be recognized. Truly an extremely sick creature caused this.

Standing over the two mutilated bodies were two unfamiliar strangers who seemed unaffected at all by the gruesome sight.

The first man wore a strange costume. He looked almost like count Dracula with a jack-o-lantern helmet. His long greasy black hair was slicked back and his eyes were cold and calculating, as he stood tall at seven feet with his big nose in the air and arms crossed.

The second man was in no way a human being. He looked like the type of creature a child would imagine hiding in their closet and bring them nightmares. That is if their closet was big enough to hold such a creature. He must have been 12 feet tall and not a single visible part of his body was not muscular. His skin was magenta and his shaggy long hair was a dingy silvery white. His fangs were too big to be contained in his own mouth. His smile was the most unsettling one in the world.

"I demand to know who you gentlemen are and what has happened here." His majesty ordered with restrained anger. He knew that he had to keep the situation under control, so for the moment he knew he had to treat this situation with diplomacy, even though he was certain he already knew the answers to those questions.

Haru however glared at the two men like he had never heard the word diplomacy before.

"You started all of this didn't you? You killed these two men and you tried to kill all of us and our friends too didn't you? Where's Elie? What have you done with her?" The prince demanded in a fit of rage. Musica and Reina who stood behind him acted as both back up if he needed it and to hold him back from jumping in. They couldn't let the prince go charging at these two half cocked, but they couldn't deny that they were glaring at their enemy just as he was.

"Calm down princey boy." Said the ogre-like creature. "The dame's still in there. She's just got company now is all. Heh heh. We're just waiting until our boss is done putting the moves on his new girl."

"And who exactly is it that you are working for?" Asked the king once again trying to be calm in this situation. Inside his heart was beating wildly with anxiety.

"My name is Pumpking Doryu." Said the one who looked like the count, tired of not being addressed by his name. Not once had anyone asked for it yet. He thought it was terribly rude "My associate is called Ogre."

Ogre just put up his hand in a sign of hello and replied "Yo at his name being mentioned."

"Very well my apologies." Replied the king for his rudeness. Even in a situation like this he remembered to be civil. "But I shall ask you again. Who is it that you work for?"

Doryu looked them strait in the eye and gave them an answer that sent shivers through their spines. "Why his majesty, the king of Raregroove, of course. He has ventured into the Etherion girl's room to claim her as his property."

Every one was shocked at that explanation. The Raregroovian king himself was here? It had to be the boldest move ever heard of by an Inner world king to take such matters into his own hands and attempt something so dangerous as to walking into a room with a disoriented, ready to strike, powerful magic user all by himself like that.

No one had heard much of the Raregroovian royal family since they had lost the war over 50 years ago. The king who had failed in his desire to take over all of Inner worlds' known territories was said to have killed himself out of shame after he lost. His son who had taken over after him tried his best to salvage whatever was left of the country after that, but made so little progress.

Raregroove was a country that chose to keep itself locked up to the rest of the world after the war. Whether it was because it didn't want the rest of the world to pity the once powerful nation, take advantage of it, or for some other reason, it was unclear, but the world gave it its space, not considering the nation could ever bounce back and try it again.

No one knew anything about the current king of Raregroove, not even his name. Most likely it was because they didn't want to bother with such a miniscule empire that had become nothing more than a dot on the map. If only they hadn't been so naïve.

Haru's shock wore off much quicker than every one else's. The words at which Ogre had chosen to use were like kindling on the fire of the prince's rage. "Property? Does that little ass have any idea who she is? I'm gonna-"

"No Haru. I want you to stay out here." Commanded his grandfather as he stepped forward. "I will assure Lady Elie's safety on my own."

Reina, Musica and Haru stared agape at the king. What in the world was he thinking? He may be a king, but he was just one old man! What could he do all by himself?

"I will need you three to stay out here. Make certain that these two will do no other harm. It might be the safer of the two jobs."

"I'm going in with you!" Haru insisted. "You don't know what that freak might try to pull! If he gets to you and Elie-"

"No." Replied his majesty. Clearly he was in no mood to negotiate. "It is not the Raregroovian king I worry about. It is her Grace, the Grand Duchess. At the moment she holds power enough to destroy this castle with a blink of her eyes. She is but a lost and easily frightened and confused creature that does not know whom or what she is right now. I'm not worried about what he will do to her, I'm worried about what he could get her to do in her time of fear."

His majesty turned to his grandson and looked him in the eye. He had to make sure he understood this. "I know you care for her and in a situation such as this you would want to comfort her and protect her, but at this moment a single unnecessary movement could startle her into killing you. You have to speak slowly and clearly and make subtle movements or else it could be your down fall. In the state you are in now I don't think you could lay your eyes on the Raregroovian king or on Elie without getting upset and blowing your cover.

Haru looked his grandfather in the eyes and knew he was serious. He wanted to go in there more than anything at the moment and be there to protect his best friend, but deep down he knew what he grandfather was saying was the truth. He had to do what was best for Elie.

"I am sorry but please understand. " His majesty pleaded.

"If the old man wishes to enter I have no quarrel with that. But we will allow no one else to do so." Said Doryu who had been listening to the conversation the whole time. He could not allow them to get in the way of his king's plan.

"Please just let my grandfather in." Said Haru who had made up his mind. "Just him."

Malakia smiled at his grandson, knowing what a difficult decision that was for him. The prince had made the right choice. He was on his way.

"Please protect her for me." Haru whispered before Malakia could move toward the door.

The king nodded, knowing he was the only one who had a chance of doing this now. It was all up to him. He cautiously walked up to the heavy steel door, knowing full well the enemy had their eyes on him but choosing to ignore them. He grabbed the handle and began to turn it as he mentally prepared himself for the hell that awaited him inside.

* * *

His majesty took two steps into the room and the door shut behind him. He could always just turn right around and check to see if it was locked. He would be safe. What he was doing was crazy. Any sudden movements and she'd kill him, but he made up his mind. The girl was his responsibility and he would take care of her.

The room had no torches, no windows yet it had to be the most well lit room he had ever been in. He took a deep breath and released it. He could see his own breath. It was so cold in there, yet the adrenaline that pumped through his system made it seemed un-noticeable. In fact a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face.

There could only be three reasons why it was so cold. The first was that he was in a damp basement room, the second was the slow breeze that seemed to radiate from the other side of the room, and the third was the power that resonated off the source of said breeze. Etherion was either always very warm or very cold. At least that's how it always was in his experience with Resha.

The king stepped forward to the source of the light and wind. There she was, curled up on top of her bed, lying in fetal position. He entire body glowed as if her skin was the glass of a light bulb. Her hair and clothes swayed a little with the wind that radiated off of her. It actually looked as if there was less gravity around her. She looked like a surreal, glowing goddess who was manipulating the space around her.

The most notable part of her was her eyes. They were looking directly at the king but they were glassy. They were the part of her body that glowed the brightest, yet there was nothing behind them. No joy, no general emotion. She stared at the old king, showing no expression what so ever as if she had been hypnotized.

The king waited a moment longer before he took another slow, cautious step closer to her. She was like a precious butterfly perched on a flower. She showed no problem of the king's presence now, but if so much as breathed wrong he would loose his chance to get close to her.

He took another slow step, then another, until finally when he was but five feet away she spoke.

"Stay where you are…" Her voice echoed through the room. Even though she was only whispering, she could be heard everywhere. Still her face held no emotion.

The king obliged, wisely choosing not to push her. He spoke slowly and clearly. He didn't want to raise his voice or do anything to disturb her.

"Your Grace….? Do you know who I am?"

It took her a moment to answer. There was no way of knowing thanks to her unreadable features but she was probably searching through memories she would not find.

"…No…"

"I am Malakia" He responded again very carefully. "I'm here to help you…"

This time the poor girl knew exactly what the man was talking about because she knew she needed help. It was one of the very few things she was definitely sure of. She could sense within her that there was something terribly wrong with her but how did this man know that? How did he know her at all? Could she trust him?

"What's wrong with me…?" It was the one question she could think to ask that covered everything she was wondering.

His majesty was about to open his mouth in an attempt to explain when somebody else beat him to it.

"There is not a thing wrong with you my pet…"

Slowly, making sure not to make any movements that would be too quick to startle her, Malakia moved his gaze over to the source of new voice. There was a young man standing by the doorframe. He must not have seen him before because he was too focused on Elie.

King Malakia was surprised to say the least. This young man was the Raregroovian king? He could not be any older than Haru. He was a teenager with armor as black as night and a long silk cape with the Raregroovian crest adorning it. His tan skin contrasted with his golden wheat colored hair and his eyes were almost as lifeless as Elie's but he held a smirk on his lips.

Next to him was a Raregroovian soldier, dressed in the same fashion as the other assassins. He held an outer world gun in his hands as he stood protectively by his king. Why in the world would he bring a regular soldier here as a body guard, Malakia wondered. He would be no help at all in defending him if anything should happen to him in this situation. If anything he would be a hindrance.

The young Raregroovian king also took cautious steps towards Elie but his face remained cocky, like he wasn't even afraid.

"You want to know who this man is?" The younger king asked. "He is the man who locked you up. He wants you to stay down in this bleak, dungeon, where you will never see the sunrise ever again until you become what he wants you to be. He even admitted he'd kill you if you couldn't do that."

If the king wasn't nervous before, he was certainly feeling it now. Another bead of sweat fell off his forehead. This young man was trying to take advantage of her situation and turn her against him.

"I did it to protect you." He muttered. "To keep you and others safe until you returned to normal."

"And what is your definition of normal?" The younger king asked. This time his question was directed to Malakia, but then he turned back to Elie and presented her with a speech that was obviously so well planned out, he was able to speak the whole thing easily without worry of her reaction towards him.

"Pet, I believe you are beautiful just as you are now, so powerful. Don't you want to live up to your true potential? Don't you see, you have no reason to fear anyone. They fear you, and for good reason. That is why they want to keep you here. If you come with me I shall protect you and help you live up to your true potential. That is what the feeling you have inside is, yearning for power. Just like me."

"Please your grace. Truly think about this. Do you think it is such a good idea to just go off with this man you don't know? All I ask is that you stay where you are. It is safe here, I promise you. Your memories shall return to you if you just give it some time. Then you will remember who you are and who everyone around you is. The decision will be so simple for you at that time." Malakia pleaded.

Elie showed no interest in either ideas, but the thought of remembering everything stirred something within her. She couldn't tell what it was exactly. It was one of those emotion things she was fairly certain she used to have. What was it again?

Her eyebrows creased slightly. "…Memories…?"

It was at that moment the worst possible case scenario had occurred.

The Raregroovian soldier who stood in the background had gotten fed up with just waiting for the two kings to be done with talking. He didn't understand any of this. All his majesty needed was this girl, correct? He proceeded forward past the two kings with no consideration about how sudden his movements were or how loud he was being. If his majesty wanted this girl so badly he'd just grab her for him.

He reached forward and grabbed Elie's forearm with force. "Alright! That's it! Comere you-"

He was unable to finish. His actions had just cost him dearly. Just as Malakia had predicted she would, the soldier had shocked her into thinking she needed to defend herself and her Etherion activated.

In a split second the arm that held onto the girl's arm, completely disintegrated! It was as if it had just turned to dust and the only thing left was a bloody stub where his right arm just was. Blood dripped profusely from his now empty arm socket and he screamed and his face contorted from the white-hot pain of loosing an appendage and fell to his knees.

"AAAHHHHH! GYEH! EHH! AHHHHH!"

He wasn't the only one who was hurt and did not know what was going on. The more the man screamed, the more Elie's face contorted to fear. It was clear that loud pain-filled noise was greatly disturbing the girl and making the situation worse.

His majesty wanted to do something, but if he tried to move to help the wounded man, it might worsen Elie's predicament. If he did nothing than the man would continue to yell out and pain until he died of blood loss, which would make the situation worse anyway! He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Malakia looked over to the young Raregroovian king. He had yet to take his eyes off of the Grand Duchess. It was as if he was just waiting for her to explode as a mischievous grin spread across his evil features. That's when it dawned on Malakia. He brought the weak soldier with him not for protection, but because he knew this would happen and he wanted it to happen. He wanted to get a rise out of Elie and he knew sacrificing this lowly man was the key to getting what he wanted.

If he had time Malakia would have commented on how awful it is for a king to treat his subject like that, but there was a much more urgent matter in front of him at the moment.

The Symphonian king slowly knelt down to the noblewoman's panicking form, throwing caution to the wind. If this was going to happen either way, then he wanted to do anything he could to protect her. In a last ditch effort he reached out and grabbed her glowing hand with both of his and pleaded desperately with the once little girl that he tucked into bed years ago.

"Lady Elie! Please see who I am!" He yelled, as the once gentle breeze that she generated was becoming a tempest of winds that was loud enough to block out even the armless man's suffering.

All the while the young Raregroovian king just looked on, eyes wide in amazement and amusement as he prepared himself for what was to come. His plan was coming together just perfectly.

* * *

Haru, Reina and Musica waited outside of Elie's cell in anticipation. They had no idea what was going to happen. It was like king Malakia just walked into a shark tank with the lights turned off. Would he get to Elie? Would the Raregroovian king get her? Would the Raregroovian king try anything to hurt Malakia? Would Etherion get them both, or would an option unforeseen by anyone come about?

It had only been a few minutes since his grandfather went in to save his best friend but to Haru it felt like he had been in there for days. The boy fidgeted where he stood, he clicked his tongue against his teeth. He was going crazy with suspense!

"Haru, man, calm down." Musica urged as he put his hand on his young friend's shoulder. He was anxious about this whole mess too. He hated that he could only wait there until this matter was resolved, but no one was more stressed than poor Haru. He was turning into a complete wreck!

"I can't help it!" the prince snapped back. He was too frustrated to listen to anybody right now.

"Look." Said Reina. "His majesty told us to stay here and wait for him to be finished. That was an order! So unless-"

She stopped talking when she noticed something very out of the ordinary. The door to Lady Elie's cell was beginning to shutter, as if there was a force in there trying to break free. But there was no way any human in there could rock that thick wooden door and the hard steel door that cover it like that.

A bead of sweat rolled off her pale neck as her heart sped up. Her eyebrows creased together and she refused to take her eyes off of the shaking door. On the surface she seemed calm and together. As a good vassal she remembered her king's orders, but on the inside she was panicking as the worst-case scenario played in her head like a horror film.

The door's shaking only continued to worsen with each passing second and soon it spread all throughout the rest of the hall way. There was no telling how much of the castle was being affected by it. It was even possible that the entire capitol was feeling this. It was like an earthquake.

For Haru it was the last straw. He could feel something bad happening in there and he couldn't just stand around anymore!

"That's it!" He drew his sword. It was time for him to take action! His grandpa and best friend needed him!

The Outer world raised prince charged forward towards the trembling door. He could care less about what happened to him, just what happened to those already inside.

He got within four feet of it when he suddenly felt as though he had just been punched in the gut. He lost his breath for a moment and doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach. He made an effort to look up at his attacker and found that it was Ogre who had managed to stop him from all the way where he was standing.

"What did I tell ya before?" The beast smirked. "Nobody gets in if they're gonna stop king Lucia's plan."

Ogre was standing over 12 feet away from prince Haru but the solid gold staff that he was holding was just long enough to reach him. It was strange. He wasn't holding one a moment ago. Then a very unexpected thing occurred. The gold staff shrunk down to the shape of a thorned club. That's when they all realized it. He was using some sort of silver claiming magic, except it wasn't silver exactly. He was using gold.

The sight of her prince being struck was the last straw for Reina. "Beastly gold claimer…" She seethed. "You dare to harm one of the royal family in front of one of their own vassals?"

She lashed out with one of her own silver attacks. For his actions she would show no mercy. She transformed her silver into that of a life sized samurai warrior and used him as a drone to do her dirty work.

This was one of Reina's best moves, however Ogre was not the least bit intimidated by it. He transformed his own gold into a shield and defended himself from any of the silver samurai's attacks. Then he took the offensive. Using the shield he had created he bashed the drone into the side and remarkably broke it in half. Reina was good but she could not compete with such brute strength like that.

Ogre was about to launch forward and attack the woman herself when suddenly he felt immense pain ripping through his chest like none he had ever felt before. He peered down at the source of the intense pain strong enough to stop him in his tracks. The head of a silver spear was poking up from his chest. The next thing he knew, the beast was spitting up blood and falling to his knees. The strike had not made contact with his vital organs but it still took him out of commission for the time being.

"Etch. Ogre, you buffoon!" responded Doryu. He was in no way concerned for his comrade's well being. He was just so annoyed that his associate could be taken down so easily. Now it was his turn.

Using magic Doryu pulled out the darkest sword any of them had ever laid their eyes upon. The blade, the hilt, every part of it was a deep shade of cold midnight black. He clutched the blade tightly as he strolled over to the prince who was only now just getting up from Ogre's attack.

"Stay away from me!" Haru threatened as he pulled himself together and pointed his own sword at him.

"I don't think so child. With your death Symphonia will be-"

Doryu never finished that sentence. He never got the chance. In that instant the door to Elie's cell burst open and flew across the room right into Doryu, knocking him off his feet and into a wall in the process.

Haru stared forward in shock. The Door had just barely missed him. If Doryu had just stayed where he was or if Haru had walked a little closer, it would have been him to take the hit. That aside the question needed to be asked was what caused the door to come flying off like that?

The Outer world teen looked to the now open hole in the wall where the door once covered. The shaking had stopped. What was going on?

Finally he was answered at the most unexpected appearance. Haru's eyes went wide at the sight of Elie staggering to the doorway. Her body was as limp as putty. One hand was clutching her downcast head. The other was against the wall as an attempt to keep her balance. Her knees were visibly buckling underneath her. She had a mystical glow about her but it looked as though it was flickering like a light bulb about to burn out.

"Elie!" Haru ran to her weak form, forgetting all of what his grandfather told him about her, and held both of her slender shoulders in him arms. He inspected her carefully to see if there was anyplace she was hurt.

Elie used all of her strength to look up at the prince with a dazed expression. Her glassy eyes held no recognition in them. She did not know this boy who looked at her with such a longing concerned gaze was. The only thing she knew was that she was feeling so exhausted. She was running on pure fumes now. It was a miracle that she didn't just collapse at that point. It was probably because of the stranger who was holding her. He kept her weak body upright, despite how limp it was.

"Elie…" he whispered. Something within the teenage boy softened and relaxed a little at the sight of her. Just earlier that day he was so afraid that he would never be able to get this close to Elie ever again and now here she was, her smooth skin under his fingertips. She was so close he could take in the scent of her hair. In spite of the circumstances it was a wonderful feeling to hold her again.

He didn't want this instant with her to end. Especially when he was so afraid he never get it back. In just a moment reality would come back. He'd remember that there were bad guys all over the place and even though the girl he cared so very much for stood shakily right in front of him, she was not herself right now. But at this moment he had her right here, and he didn't want to loose that remarkable feeling.

Sadly that feeling was very short lived. He should have never let his guard down. He was in no way prepared for the blow to the head he received. It made his head spin and his vision darken. He had no idea where it had come from or what exactly was happening now but he could feel Elie being pulled from his arms and being taken from him as he fell to the floor. The blissful feeling was torn away so suddenly and replaced by a nightmarish feeling of dread. He heard screaming and laughter at the same time.

His eyes had been closed tightly from the pain but with his remaining strength he managed to crack them open.

The sight before him was the most terrifying thing he could possibly imagine. A golden blond boy, probably no older than him, dressed in Raregroovian armor towered over him. He held Elie close to him with one hand to keep her standing in her dizzy stupor. He looked down at Haru in disgust.

"Never touch my pet again. She tires from killing your king…"

As the Raregroovian king walked away roughly dragging the limp Elie who staggered beside him Haru could see what was behind the golden haired young man.

Lying there unmoving in a heap of rubble was his own grandfather, a battered mess. Reina openly bawled over her fallen king and Musica looked to be in utter shock.

That was the last thing Haru knew before he blacked out.

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**I believe the words you are all thinking are "HOLY CRAP!"**

**How's that for a cliffhanger, huh? Is this the chapter everyone was waiting for? What did Elie do to Malakia? Will he be all right? Will Lucia get away with this? This is getting to be some intense shit ain't it? And the worst part of it is that you all have to wait another week to find out what's going to happen!**

**Remember, for every review you people don't send I'll get angrier! If you don't want to hear on the news about how the hulk destroyed the down town area, I suggest you post some reviews for me.**


	31. The Guillotine Blade Comes Down  End Par

**Lets hurry up and get this disclaimer over with so I can get on with the chapter. I don't own Rave master!**

**The Guillotine Blade Comes Down End Part

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She felt so dizzy and tired. Everything seemed so hazy. All she wanted to do was just lie down and sleep. Her head rolled about her neck. She was too tired to even keep her head up. Why did she feel so weak?

She could vaguely hear the cries and whimpers of something suffering. She rolled her head back to look behind her. There were a few creatures over there. She had trouble making them out. Especially the one's who were wailing in pain. She knew she had seen creatures like them before.

Something that began with a 'pah' sound. Popos? No not that. Peoples? Yeah that was it. They were called people.

They seemed to be moving further away. Oh. She just noticed it was because she was the one moving away from them. A part of her wished she could stay longer. At this point she could only make out the face of one of the 'people'. It was lying on the ground, as a substance seemed to drip down its figure. It was completely unmoving. Was it sleeping?

She wanted to stay and know more about it. It was utterly fascinating. In fact it was the most beautiful creature she had ever remembered laying her eyes on, like a masterpiece that you just wanted to stare at forever. The only thing she understood about this 'people' in particular was that she had a strange feeling for it that stirred up within her. If only she knew why.

She allowed her head to sink, getting too tired of trying to hold it up. She was still so exhausted. Then she noticed something else. On the ground there were a set of two objects taking turns moving one in front of the other. Something hard looking and black covered the one set that was further away. They moved confidently and strongly. It was probably to make up for the set that was moving directly below her. They staggered awkwardly; shuffling clumsily with each step, like just moving one a single step was too much of a hassle.

She noticed that they were attached to something going up. Her eyes followed the trail until she realized that those two objects shuffling below her were attached to her. Not only that, there were a few other appendages that were attached to her. They hung limp off of her body, but when she was able to summon the strength, she found that they would move or at least twitch one of the little five nimble things on the end on her command.

That's when something else hit her. These appendages were just like the one's the 'people' had. That must mean that she was a 'people' too. Wait a second. That had to mean that the other pair of confidently moving appendages beside her might belong to another 'people'.

Her gazed slowly followed the bottom of the other walking appendages all the way up to find the other 'people'. This one was different from the others. She could feel it. It was something unnaturally chilling, that produced an uncomfortable feeling. She wasn't so sure she liked it.

Whoever this 'people' was it was taller than her and all around bigger built. He kept his upper appendages, the one's that were long and had five nimble things on the end, wrapped around her tighter than a vice. It was clear he wanted her around. On one hand she was grateful for it. It kept her up. There was no way she would be able to make it anywhere on her own in her condition. On the other, that uncomfortable feeling that he produced continued to grow with every second this 'people' remained wrapped around her. It wasn't doing this to help her but so that she couldn't get away. Now she was sure she didn't like it.

That strange panic set in like it usually did when she was near something that she wasn't sure whether or not would hurt her arose. She wanted to be away from this 'people' but the power within her just could be brought out. It was just resting below the surface as if it just didn't think this was a good time. This made her panic more. That power was the only thing she knew. It had to come to rescue her now!

She didn't notice she was struggling harder against the 'people's' grip until it did something about it. Was she just trying to break free? If she had been, it was not like she had the strength to make any effort, but still the 'people' who had her captive still must have thought it was a good idea to squash any attempts.

Suddenly she felt the whole world shift as she was being repositioned so that her set of walking appendages was no longer on the floor. The 'people was carrying her now."

She stared up at his face and the corners of his talk hole went up. "Hush pet. You are already worn out from taking out the Symphonian king but I need one final task of you before I make you mine."

She knew that this 'people was speaking and making words but she couldn't quite make sense of them. It was as if he was speaking to a toddler with the longest words he could find in the dictionary.

She tried to talk back to this people but the only thing that escaped her mouth was a whimper. She didn't know how or why she made that noise but at the moment it seemed appropriate for some reason. She was having one of those feeling things again. She didn't know what it was exactly but she was sure she didn't like this one too much.

After a moment of contemplating what was going on and what was going to happen to her thanks to this unknown, uncomfortable 'people'. She just allowed her head to fall back. Because it was the only thing she could do at the moment.

* * *

Haru groaned in pain as consciousness began to slowly come back to him. He put a hand to his head in an attempt to sooth his suffering. He tried opening his eyes only for them to quickly clamp shut. It was so bright.

Then memories quickly flooded back to him. The Raregroovian king, Elie, his grandfather. He gasped as he shot up in a sitting position. No longer caring about the bright light or his headache.

When the prince looked around he found that he was no longer in the palace basement where he had been knocked out cold. Was sitting in the castle lobby and he was surrounded by the rest of the nobility and his friends. They all huddled together, just sitting on the floor looking completely crestfallen and defeated. It confused Haru. What in the world did he miss? A bead of sweat fell down the side of his face and his heart rate quickened. He didn't know what was going on but his instincts told him it was something to worry about.

"Haru. You're awake?"

The prince looked to his left. Let sat next to him with Julia resting her head on his shoulder. She glanced his way, but her gazed quickly shifted back to her feat. It never occurred to Haru that she refused to look at him because she didn't want him to see her cry before. It took Haru a few seconds but then he realized she really was crying. Oh man, Julia crying? Whatever was going on, it must be really, really bad!

"L-Let… what's going on?" The Outer world raised prince asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Let glanced at his feet as he contemplated on how to answer that question. After a few seconds he realized there was no easy way of saying it, so he might as well just get out with it.

"We're stuck here Haru."

The teen looked at his friends with confused eyes and waited for an explanation.

"Sniff. Let me lay this out real nice for ya…" Julia muttered answering the question for him as she wiped her tears away. "Lady Fumia and Lady Remy's made a force field with their magic to keep the baddies out… but we're stuck here sitting pretty until it's safe to leave. Raregroovian soldiers have the castle surrounded."

"W-what?" Haru asked in disbelief. That couldn't be true. There was no possible way that those freaks had bested them. Haru was sure they were winning. "How can that be?"

Julia buried her face in her own knees as she hugged them close, not wanting to continue.

"We were beating them." Let continued for her. "We were sure we had this in the bag but then… We got an announcement from King Lucia… The Raregroovian king… It could be heard throughout the whole palace… He… He said he had Elie in his hands and that the royal family was already down and that if we did not surrender, he'd kill them…"

Haru could only stare at Let with wide eyes, completely speechless.

"Do you…Sniff… Do you know why everyone was so nervous about the idea of the Glory dynasty ending?" Julia managed to get out. "It was because everyone loves king Malakia… H-he was one of the greatest rulers this nation has ever had. He's seen us through war when he was only a teenager, he lead Symphonia through a golden age. When we felt lost, he gave us guidance, when we were frightened, he showed us the light. There is not a single person here who would disagree with that. Whenever things got hard, he was able to lead this nation through it, but now he's…"

The female dragon race trailed off. It was too painful to finish that sentence.

Haru suddenly remembered the last thing he saw before he passed out, his grandpa. His face paled significantly and he was sure his heart skipped a few beats, listening to what Julia was trying to say. No! No! No! This couldn't be happening! It couldn't be true!

"Julia… Let…?" The prince pleaded in a cracked voice unable to keep the emotion at bay. "T-tell me where he is…."

Let looked down at his feet, not wishing to look the prince in the eyes. Julia sniffled one last time before she sucked it up and outstretched her arm to point across the lobby.

Off like a speeding rocket, Haru got up off the floor and ran towards where Julia pointed. He jumped over and around people who sat, curled up on the floor in their own misery. They gave him a brief glace as he dashed by but ultimately they were in a state of mind where they just felt too hopeless to care at the moment.

Even though it was a short run that was less than 15 seconds, Haru was feeling so out of breath. Not because the run tired him out but because he was so stressed out about what he was afraid he might see, but he knew this was something he had to witness for himself or else he would never believe it.

As he came to a gathering of people on the floor, he gulped knowing what it was they were crowding over.

Suddenly Reina, who was one of the people who were crowding, had heard him and looked up. When Her and Haru's eyes met, the prince noticed that they were red and puffy. Her face was moist with tears as she gave him a pained look.

"Y-your highness…" She stuttered out, choking on her own words.

"Let me see him." Haru commanded the vassal. His own voice betrayed him. They both knew he would be scared of what he would see, but Reina just bowed her head and gestured the others crowding around the body to move aside and make way for the prince.

Haru's gaped at the sight and his face lost all coloring. He knew what he was in for when he asked to see his grandfather but in some, there was no possible way to prepare for this nightmare inducing sight that lay sprawled out before him in such a mess.

His grandfather, king of Symphonia, Malakia Glory, lay on the ground unmoving and lifeless. He had multiple, bandages made from whatever cloth they could get their hands on to help him, wrapped around him in a poorly dressed fashion all over his body. Large red blood spots leaked through. The parts of him that weren't covered in bandages were blue, black, and just about every other color a disgusting, deep bruise would be, like the murky water that was used multiple times for an artist's used paint and ink brush. That was only the part of him that Haru could see. Capes and jackets that the others had used to cover his lower half with covered the rest of him. Haru didn't know nor did he want to know what the rest of him looked like under all of that.

Seeing his grandfather like this struck Haru's core deep. He was a nice, frail old man who couldn't hurt a fly. Why did this happen to him? There was nothing on earth that this poor old man could have done to deserve this. It was enough to break the teenage prince's heart. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair!

"King Lucia…" Reina choked out, snapping Haru out of his shock.

"He… had everything planned out to a tee. Sniff… He planned for Lady Valentine to get frightened in her Etherion state… Sniff. He planned for king Malakia to be there for when she lashed out in fear! For him to take the brunt of her attack… and when Lady Valentine was weakened from using such power. Sniff. Sniff… He's the one who took her away… It's all because of him! He knew exactly what he was doing! He planned for all of this"

By the time Reina had finished her speech she was practically hysterical. She wept uncontrollably into her hands.

In the background, also standing in the crowd of gatherers over Malakia's unconscious form was Musica. He watched the woman he claimed was just a friend with benefits sob with soft, sad, concerned eyes. He wanted to say something but what could he possibly say. As he once said, comforting was not his strong point.

Haru felt like crying too. Everything Julia had said about his grandpa was true. He may not have known the man for a long period of time but he just felt so incredibly lost without him at that moment. All it took was one look around the room to know that everyone else felt the same way. If there ever was a time that they needed him, it was now.

Then Haru noticed something. What did Reina say? He took Elie? But in the state she was in there was no possible way for her to fight back! The prince's teeth began to grind together in anger and rage slowly bubbled up to replace the sorrow.

The Outer world raised price stood up from where he was sitting. His eyes burned brightly with intense emotion and his fists were clenched so tightly it looked as though he would hurt himself.

"Reina…" He seethed with venom, but it was nothing compared to what he was feeling on the inside. He didn't want to lash out at her. He wanted to save his wrath for the one who deserved it.

"Where is this king Lucia right now…?"

Reina stopped bawling long enough to look up at him. Even through her blurred teary vision, she could see the fury all over his face. "Your highness…." She said. "I beg of you to tell me that you are not planning to take on the Raregroovian king-"

"Never mind!" He snapped. He had something much better to do than explain himself. "I'll find him myself! I know he's not that far from here!"

He couldn't explain how he knew but he could just feel that Elie was nearby and that she was in danger and if what Reina said was true and that this Lucia bastard had taken her, it meant that he was not far either.

The prince turned around and began walking away from the vassal. Vaguely he could hear her shouting out at him to stop. That once he left the force field he would not be able to come back in, but he was too focused on the matter at hand to care or to listen. He made his way near the exit of the lobby. At the end of it he could just barely make out the outline of some sort of wall. He didn't stop. The wall only provided him with minor resistance, but the prince paid no mind.

This bastard had stolen Elie, tried to murder his grandfather and threatened the entire country and its people. Haru would find this guy, no doubt about it, and he would make him pay dearly….

* * *

Haru walked angrily through the castle corridors. He had his head held high and never took his eyes off of the path ahead of him as he stomped on forward. His jaw was set in fierce determination, knowing exactly what he was going to do

He ran into at least two enemies on his way, much less than was expected but he didn't really care about what was expected at the moment. One he was able to defeat so easily, it didn't slow him down even in the slightest. The other saw what he did and actually backed away out of fear to let the furious prince go on ahead. After seeing what happened to his comrade he didn't dare try his hand at the prince, knowing full well what would probably happen if he tried. Because he had enough sense not to attack, Haru paid him no mind, only focusing on what was ahead of him.

After a little over five minutes of storming his way through the palace, the prince came upon the two large, heavy front doors that would lead him outside. He was so close he could feel it. Not hesitating even the slightest, he pushed all his weight into the doors that were at least six times his size and made his way through.

He didn't have to go too much farther after that to find the man he was looking for. He was standing right on the front steps of the palace looking out towards the city.

The Raregroovian King stood proudly out at the capitol like he was waiting for something. Haru knew it was him right away. It didn't matter that he was so young as a king or that there was no one else around to confirm it.

The night breeze whipped the king's shaggy blond hair around as well as his black cape, which contained the Raregroovian crest printed on it. He was not wearing the uniform that the other mere foot soldiers were wearing, but shiny black armor that definitely looked to be made for royalty. Who else would be dressed like that, standing on the palace steps at this time of night? It had to be him, no doubt about it.

Haru marched right up to the man while he was still preoccupied. It was his perfect chance. He grabbed the king by one of his shoulders and spun him around to look him in the eye. Then without warning or hesitation, The Symphonian prince punched the king square in the face as hard as he possibly could.

The Raregroovian king was unprepared for the assault and ended up floundering back a few steps but he did not fall. In fact he looked more surprised than he did hurt. He stared up at the prince with wide eyes that actually made him look his age, which couldn't possibly be more than 16 or 17. But just as quickly as the shock came, it went, leaving only a very annoyed looking young king in its place.

The young king let out an aggravated sigh, as if he was merely just not in the mood to deal with a prince going through a tantrum. "Oh. It's you. The new Symphonian prince I've recently been hearing about. What do you want?"

"SHUT UP!" Haru snapped. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?"

The king just stared at the prince nonchalantly and rolled his eyes. He didn't care that he had upset the boy. As far as he was concerned, he was just some brat throwing a fit. He had no idea what he was talking about. He did a lot of things to piss people off. How was he supposed to keep track?

"What the hell did my grandfather ever do to you? Huh? He was a great king! He would never hurt anybody unless he had no choice! If this is because your country lost the war all those years ago, why should that bother you? It happened long before you were born! You should be focused on what you can do for your own damn land rather than what you can do to us!"

The Raregroovian king scoffed at Haru's little speech. He was so naïve it was funny. He couldn't help but think that every word that the prince uttered was only digging his own grave a little deeper.

"And Elie…" Haru seethed. He was far from done with telling the king off. "Do you have any idea what she's been put through this whole time? She lost her parents, her home, and now you want to use what little she has left inside of her for your own selfish goals!"

Tears came to Haru's eyes when he thought of poor, sweet Elie's troubles. "Not that you care but she happens to be the sweetest, kindest, most innocent freaking angel in both worlds that I have ever met, and you… You hurt her! Everything terrible that has ever happened to that girl has been a result of your disgusting ambition!

What is wrong with you? How can you treat such kind, fantastic people like that? What the hell are you?"

"Are you done?" The king asked now bored with the boy.

Haru's anger only increased. "No! I'm far from done!"

He pulled out his sword and gripped it tightly, aiming it at him. "I'm not done until I've made you pay!"

With that final word Haru charged at the king, ready to take him out of commission, however this time, the king was ready for the attack. He pulled out his own sword that seemed just as enormous as the prince's ten powers blade and parried Haru's strike.

At first it looked like a stalemate, but the king had much more experience using a sword than Haru did, and while Haru was struggling to hold his ground, the king smirked at him as if it were no trouble for him at all.

"Lucia." The king muttered.

Haru who struggled under the pressure of the king's blade managed to speak out. "Ugh, err w-what did you say?"

"You asked what I was. I am king Lucia Sinclair Raregroove VI. Ruler of the kingdom of Raregroove and you my naïve little stepping stone…"

Lucia managed to throw his opponent at least seven feet backwards, causing him to land on his butt.

"Are the one who shall pay. There wasn't a single word in that little tantrum of yours that didn't make me want to kill you!"

Now it was Lucia's turn to attack and he would have no reserve for killing a young prince. He charged forward when suddenly

KABLAM!

Haru's eyes snapped over to the city that stretched out before him. His eyes went wide, his face lost color and his jaw dropped. It was the last thing he was expecting to happen. Then again after all that happened in the past few hours he should really learn to expect anything.

KABLAM!

Way out above the city reached; there was a glowing white light. It was much too big and bright to be a star. It suspended over the all of the buildings and houses like an angel, but what it was doing was far from angelic.

KABLAM!

It shot out beams of light down at the city causing large, loud explosions and setting things on fire. In the distance people could be heard screaming for their lives like a horrible tortured dying beast in the dead of night. It shook Haru to his core.

"W-what is going on? What's happening?" Haru panicked. He had lost all confidence that he had only a few moments ago. Now he had no idea what to do. He didn't even know what exactly was happening.

"Ah, there you are pet. Just as planned."

Haru looked back to see Lucia staring at the tragic scene as well, but the look on his face was one of pure amusement as he watched the poor innocent city burn. To him this was a game and he was just so cocky that he was winning in his eyes.

"Do you like it? It's a combination of Inner world magic and Outer world technology that controls her, developed just for this. Your former Grand Duchess Valentine is now in my power. She will burn this whole cursed city to the ground just for me."

Haru looked back to the scene of the nightmarish occurrence with fear filled eyes. That was Elie? No, this couldn't be right! He turned back to Lucia.

"You don't want to take back what Symphonia won off of you all those years ago? I thought your people wanted to rule the world."

Lucia smirked. The prince was right. It was about time his plan was revealed.

"I still do, and I'm going to. All these years we always planned for Raregroove to make its comeback and take over the world, make our enemies pay and all of that, but since then something even better came about."

Haru look at king Lucia with a tensed raised eyebrow. What could he be talking about?

"The discovery of Outer world." Lucia continued. "After that world was discovered this one became but a mere old aged dirt clod in comparison to that technologically advanced beauty. With the help of Grand Count Haja we've had success in getting some new toys and such from them, as you saw back in there, but now that his connections with the portals are gone I suppose it was time to go 'nuclear' as you Outer worlders might say, hmm? Heh heh heh.

I'm going to be king of this world and that one. When that happens this little country won't be worth taking over, so I thought I might as well get rid of it. It has left a bad taste in my mouth long enough."

"You're insane!" Haru accused.

"Am I? With the magic of Inner world on my side and my little pet, the Etherion girl with me, those Outer worlders won't know what hit them." Then taking his blade and aiming it directly at the prince Lucia charged.

"But you should have seen this coming!"

Haru was taken off guard by Lucia's attack. He tried to block it but he wasn't able to move fast enough. Luckily he was able to stop the blade from cutting him badly, but he lost his footing in the process. The dark king took full advantage of that. He continued to push forward, giving Haru no time to defend himself.

CRASH!

The Symphonian prince was pushed so far by the king's mighty sword, the ground broke from under him and he fell through to the basement underneath him. The last thing he saw before the darkness consumed him was the bright light of Etherion off in the distance that was destroying the capitol.

Lucia looked down the hole that the prince had fallen through. He contemplated whether or not he should jump in after him and make certain whether or not the little annoyance was dead. At this point there was still a chance that he could have survived.

Naw, he decided. He wasn't worth his time. He had better things to do and besides even if he had survived that nasty fall, he wouldn't be alive for much longer anyway. Soon the entire country would be nothing but ash, and the best part was all of the people who could do anything to stop him were all here in one place, huddled in the castle, wallowing in there own hopelessness. He would end them when he was ready. He wasn't too worried.

He turned around, cocked his head back and let out a laugh at the entire situation. Thank Devil for the Estates General for making this too easy.

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**Huh what did I tell ya? When Lucia makes a début, he really shakes things up. I'm trying to remember if I ever ended a story arc on such a hopeless note. Things are looking really bad right now aren't they?**

**Maybe if I get enough reviews then I'll write in a happy ending, or maybe I'll just sit back and let Lucia take over our world. Bwa ha ha ha!**

**Quickly you must save us all! Review and I'll see you next Friday.**


	32. The War Is Ours Now  Part 1

**Wait a second let me check… Nope still don't own Rave Master.**

**The War Is Now Ours Part 1**

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Slowly Haru began to come back to consciousness. His whole body was sore from the rough landing. He shook his head slightly back and forth as he attempted to clear away the last of the cobwebs from hitting is head.

"Ugh~ What a trip…" He mutter as he rubbed his aching head. Slowly he repositioned himself in a sitting position; only to be reminded of how much pain he was in. That's when he remembered it all.

His grandfather, Elie, Lucia, all of it. He had her. He had Elie in his arms and that freak just pulled her away. Why didn't he hold on tighter? He just stared forward in the dark where he was sitting. It was like he was in shock. He didn't move, not because of the pain or anything like that. It was because he just didn't feel like it. He just kept on staring forward as he contemplated the situation.

It was the first time in the boy's entire life that he actually considered not getting up. Like he should just sit there forever. It wasn't as if there was anything he could do anyway. Lucia had already won and it wouldn't be long before it all ended for him anyway.

Maybe this was it. Maybe this truly was as far as he was meant to go. He supposed he shouldn't feel too bad. He should be thankful that he even made it this far. Deep inside maybe he always thought that he was just meant to be a hick from a little town in Indiana. If he had just accepted that destiny then he wouldn't be in this mess. Who was he kidding asking for greatness? His father didn't know anything. He was no more special than any other kid. That's probably why the feeling of being royalty never really sunk in.

He sighed. It was such an empty feeling to be so hopeless.

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Haru took a good look around. He knew this place. It was the basement cell where Elie had been living for the past few days. That explained why it collapsed underneath him. It wasn't just Lucia's strength. This place was already pretty beat up from Etherion.

Then something weird happened. The prince noticed a twinkle. What in the world could possibly be sparkling in depressing place like this? That little twinkle compelled the prince. It was strange but it almost felt as though it was calling out to him and asking him to come get it. It was enough to get him off his butt at least.

Haru walked over the pieces of rubble that lay sprawled out on the floor until he reached the source of the sparkle.

It was just a tiny little stone in the shaped of a sword. It looked like some beautiful crystal. Haru raised an eyebrow to it. What in the world was it and what was it doing down here?

Then Haru noticed something else next to where the stone lay. It was a note. Granted it was crumpled up from being underneath a pile of rubble but he could still make out the writing on it just fine.

His eyes went wide as they scanned the page. It was the last thing he was expecting. It was a note from Elie!

_Haru_

_I hope it's you reading this. If it isn't can whoever it is reading this giving it to him before reading any further? I'll wait until you get him before continue…_

Haru laughed at that last line. It was so typical of that girl to write something like that out. Classic Elie.

He continued reading.

_If you're reading this it means that I probably wasn't able to give you this myself. Sorry. I should have told you that there was a possibility that I may loose myself if I tried to activate too much Etherion at once. I hope you'll forgive me._

_But before I lost myself I was able to do what I set out to do. Do you see the little sword shaped stone on the ground? It shouldn't be far from this note. That is the weapon that I've worked so hard to create with my power. I put everything I had into it before I forgot what it was that I was doing._

_It's not like regular weapons. After a weapon killed my mother and father I decided that this one would be different. Only one person can only use this weapon or else all of its power is useless. The person who is best suited to use it properly, and it can only be used when something precious needs to be protected. That's where the real power of this little stone comes from, yes I made it with my Etherion, but only the drive to protect can bring out its true potential._

_That is why I have chosen you to be the one to wield this weapon. You are the perfect man for the job. I even made it so that when you put it with your blade, the true power can be brought forth._

_Don't you remember the day we met? I was cowering in your closet from a scary movie and the moment you heard me scream you threw away your own safety to make sure I was all right. When you put your arms around me and shielded me from my own fears I knew you were special. Prince Gale was right about everything about you. You were made for greatness. Don't ever let a few set backs and miniscule doubts get in your way. You will power through them._

_You'll know what to do when the time comes of that I have no doubt. I believe in you with all my heart._

_Love Elie._

By the time Haru had just about finished reading it tears threatened to spill over in his eyes. Could Elie really mean all of that? The answer was right in front of him.

Yes. Elie would never lie about that. He read the last line one more time.

"Love…?_"_

_

* * *

_

The nobles, the vassals and the rest of Haru's friends all continues to sit under the magic made barrier in utter misery. They knew that the barrier wouldn't last forever, not that that mattered. Even the barrier wouldn't be able to keep out the enemy forever. The bad guys had Etherion now, while they didn't even have a leader anymore. It was all so very hopeless.

Eventually getting sick of all this waiting around for nothing but things to get worse got on Shuda's nerves. He stood up, too frustrated with the situation to have it last any longer.

"We have to do something! This is our kingdom! I'll be damned if I'm just going to die and loose it without a fight!"

"How?" Reina demanded. "What can we do without our king? We have no plan, no leader, and we're up against an army of bastards! Tell me, what can we do?"

Shuda opened his mouth to retort only to come up with nothing. He hated saying it but she was right. Without a plan fighting them would be nothing more than sending lambs to the slaughter.

Reina continued her rant. "This sucks! It isn't fair. I just wish I knew what to do! I don't think I can be happy ever again until his majesty awakens!"

Speak of the devil and he with always show up, or in their case it was a duo of rookie wizards.

A bright light suddenly erupted from the middle of the room. Everyone stood on guard, after all that had happened that night, what could it be now?

When the light disappeared three wizards were left in its place, Sieg Hart, Ruby and Belnika.

Belnika and Ruby, wearing big smiles spread their arms out in surprise. "Tada!" They yelled.

"Not only did we save the whole freaken state of New Elie but we also learned this new teleportation spell!" She cheered out happily to the room of nobles. Completely oblivious to the mood of the room and what had recently happened, the duo just relished in their own accomplishments.

"Yeah, poyo! We're ready for our medals now! Come on, poyo! Hail to the heroes, poyo! Whoo!"

Sieg did however pick up on the mood of the room. He could tell right away that something was amiss. Why were all of the nobles just sitting on the floor? Why was everyone so somber? Where was Lady Valentine?

Sieg voiced his questions "What has occurred here in-"

"Yeah! It's good to be here, poyo!"

Sieg pushed the penguin that had interrupted him out of the way. The duo was still oblivious to the fact that they obviously weren't getting the hero's welcome they were expecting.

He asked again. "What has occurred here in our absence?"

Reina did her best to explain to Sieg Hart what had happened since the last time he had spoken with king Malakia. She went over the early Estates General, Lady Valentine using her powers to attempt to make a great weapon, and the attack on the castle. Her voice would crack here and there, when she got to the parts of the story that were difficult for her to relive.

Sieg listened intently to her story, not interrupting her once, but as the story went on further one could see the look of panic in his eyes grow as thing went down hill for them, By the end of the tale the expression on his face practically begged for her to tell him it was all a lie.

But she never admitted to lying.

The New Elie vassal fell to his hands and knees in total despair. "I should have been there…" He whispered to himself as he broke down.

Reina looked down upon the broken man and was able to sympathize with him whole-heartedly. "There was nothing you could have done to prevent this… there was nothing any of us could have done. He was just… so far ahead of us…"

Sieg was too lost in his own world to even notice her anymore. Grand Duchess Valentine was his noblewoman. It was his sacred duty to protect her. All nobles were allowed to have at least a few vassals with them at the Estates General, but she was left with no one to take care of her. It figures. He was around everyday to defend her for the past six years but when he was nowhere near by that was when she needed him the most. After all he had done, some vassal he turned out to be.

"B-but we defeated the big bad guy already, poyo" Ruby and Belnika had stopped their own celebrating and listened to the story as well. They were just as shocked and heartbroken over the whole mess as everyone else was.

"The person you defeated was a Raregroovian Nobleman. The person we're dealing with now is royalty." Shuda retorted. "This is a whole other class and he is so much smarter than we could have ever anticipated. Sigh. There's nothing we can do."

"I disagree."

Everyone turned his or her heads to the direction of the new voice. Haru came walking in from around the bin. He looked dirty and slightly beaten like he had just sat through a natural disaster, yet there was a proud look on his face, as if he were ready for anything.

"Prince Haru!" Fumia shouted out. "Your highness, why are you so… filthy." For lack of a better word. "Are you alright?"

"No." He answered sullenly. "I'm not alright. I'm not all right because outside, our kingdom's being burnt down to the ground and too many people are suffering. And we- When did Belnika and Ruby get here?"

He asked as he finally noticed them in the room. They happily waved at their friend, glad to be noticed.

Haru mentally slapped himself for being sidetracked. No! He had to stay focused right now. "Never mind. WE have all we need to save ourselves right here."

He held out his hand and showed them all the stone.

"What is that?" Asked the Grand Marquis.

"Can't you tell?" Haru asked. This is the weapon that everyone was raving about."

They all looked on in astonished wide eyes. "She was able to complete it?" Let asked.

"Of course she was." He answered, actually feeling giddy with the growing hope inside of him, or maybe it was radiating off of this tiny stone. "Did you have any doubt in our girl? Elie's the greatest! That's why we need to get her back!"

"How do you use it?" Musica asked, not understanding how a little shiny rock like that could do anything.

"Just like this." Replied Haru. He took the tiny stone and placed it directly where his blade and its hilt met. Without warning the sword began to glow and take shape. Everyone looked on in astonishment as the warm rays of light reached all the way over to him or her. It felt like sunshine.

The prince smiled on as the blade did exactly as he thought it would. He didn't know how but somehow he was able to predict this. It was like he had known everything about this weapon from the moment h touched it for the first time and like he had been using it forever. He could only guess that it was because he had known Elie for so long and this was forged by her putting a little piece of her own heart and soul into it.

He was holding Elie's ideals and dreams for the worlds she loved. Haru believed it to be the only explanation. Even though it was not her world Elie had grown to love Outer world as well and now with the very weapon she forged, she would help save them both.

As the glow faded the old sword's shape changed to something completely unexpected. It looked like a brand new sword. It shined like it was just polished. Everyone had heard that Shiba's legendary blade could change its form but this was a blade that none of them had ever seen before. It was beautiful and the tiny stone was able to fit just perfectly to it as if it was glued on or something.

I think I'll call this stone Rave since that's the word everyone seems to associate it with and the new sword… hm… I'll call it Ravelt." Haru announced proudly as he held up his new weapon.

"I see." Replied Let who just like everyone else could not take their eyes off of the prince's new pride and joy. "Ravelt. It's a combination of the words Rave like your new stone and velt which means world."

"Really? I mean, yeah that's totally what I was going for." Haru responded, trying to sound like he actually knew that. He just thought that Ravelt was a good sounding word and he wanted it to be similar to the stone's name so that it would be easier to remember. He was genuinely surprised that it turned out that it actually meant something so cool. That was just perfect.

"Your majesty. Altagis spoke out. "Do you truly believe that with that we will be able to save our kingdom?"

"Of cause I d-" Just as Haru was about to answer that something hit him. Did Altagis just say 'your majesty'? No, that couldn't be right. Everybody around there called him 'your highness' for his princely status. 'Your majesty' was reserved for the king.

That's when he realized something else. Nobody was correcting him. They all just stared at him with big pleading eyes that begged for his guidance. Oh no. This couldn't be happening.

"Uh don't you mean 'your highness'?" Haru asked in hopes that he was wrong about this. That the Grand Baron had merely had a slip of the lips, but nothing he was hoping for that night was coming to fruition.

"Your majesty." Remi was the one to speak up and say it out loud. "We can't do this without a leader and Symphonian tradition dictates that the next of kin of the previous king will take over the position of king if no one else is able. You parents nor is your grandmother alive. Your sister is much too far away and we haven't the time to go get her and fill her in on what to do. You are the only choice."

"What? B-but what about a vassal taking over in case somebody can't rule? I'm way too young to even buy insurance, or legal drink, let alone rule a powerful nation! There's go to be some one else! Anybody who'd be a better fit than me!" The prince tried to reason in a completely flabbergasted way.

"Don't be like that!" Demanded Yuma. "Your plenty old enough to do this. You're about the same age Malakia took over and he had to fight off a war. You're his grandkid! You can do it too!"

"Yeah but-"

"Haru!" Let called out.

The prince looked to his Outer world friend and his eyes held something he was not expecting but made him feel so much better. It was faith.

"This is it Haru. This is your time, your moment. You've always dreamed of greatness well that means that people are going to depend on you. You have to lead us. There is not a soul in this room who has any doubt in you. Not me, the most skeptical guy here, not any of these nobles, and not even the man who is hurt and unconscious over there just barely holding on for his life. He appointed you his heir and taught you all he could in this short time. He would want you take charge in his absence and you know who else would tell you to do it if she was here? Elie. She'd be absolutely certain without any doubts."

Haru stared at his friend. Considering how skeptical of everything he normally was, that meant a lot.

"My liege. It must be made perfectly clear. We can not, will not even try to attempt this without you." Shuda said as he stood up and looked the royalty directly in the eye.

Haru slowly gazed all around the room. Everyone was staring at him. Their eyes pleaded with him for guidance. They were all depending on him.

Haru gulped down a lump in his throat. Man this was a lot of pressure to just put on one kid. He was just a normal teenager from Indianna last month. Now the most important people in this entire empire expected him to lead them all to victory or die trying.

Haru felt unbelievably nervous, or at least he should have been. Once again Haru was contemplating why he wasn't feeling the way he would have expected to feel in this situation. He should have been scared. His knees should have been shaking, yet he was completely calm. He would even go as far as to say that he felt ready for this.

What was going on with him? Not that long ago he was the kid who stared up at a monster and contemplated leaving his best friend to die while he ran to safety. That's when it truly hit him. Even though it wasn't a long time ago, it felt like it was. That night when he and Elie were kidnapped on their way to the school dance felt like ages ago.

Remembering that scared kid was like remembering someone you knew a long time ago. It was like watching a home video of yourself when you were just a little kid. The person in the video doesn't seem anything like the way you are now, as if you are watching some one else.

That was just it, he realized. He wasn't that person anymore. He was a completely different human being. Stronger, smarter, tougher, braver, no longer the teen that would just sleep in and play video games until his ass was sore from just sitting and staring at a screen. He didn't even miss those luxuries, because he had something much better. Those old things didn't even hold a candle to what he had with him now.

He had responsibilities to the people who looked up to him. This was it! His big break! His chance to prove he could be great and do something meaningful with his life. It was as if the final puzzle pieces fell into place. He was to be king of these people. Now he felt it. Now there wasn't a doubt to be found in him.

And he knew the reason why he couldn't feel it before. Elie was right. This weapon suited him perfectly. It will only work if some thing precious to the user is in need of defending, and he only realized what it meant to be royalty when he needed to defend his friends and nation, and right now somebody very dear to him needed him now more than ever and he was not about to let her down.

"All right…" He announced out loud. "We're are doing this and I'm going to need everyone to follow my lead."

He felt not only like the king of Symphonia right now but he was the king of the world. Nothing could stop him now.

"First I want everyone to get to a telephone and call up their homes! We are going to need troops and plenty of them. Now I know it's going to take a while for them to get here, but we don't know how long this war will last! We'll take what we can get. So tell them to send troops over and don't dawdle!"

He turned to the noblemen of Ribeyla and Makai. "You guys are always saying that your soldiers are the best of the best, well this is your moment to shine. Let's see what you can do!"

Both Noblemen smirked cockily at the newly anointed king. They knew what he meant and they couldn't have been more pumped for this.

"Lady Maltese, since you don't know how to fight and your vassal is injured I want you to stay here. Do you think you can keep the force field up on your own?" He asked the Grand Contessa.

"I can sire but it will not be nearly as large." She replied standing up.

"That's fine. All I need is for you to stay here and hold down the fort. You have to protect the injured like my grandpa, Okay?" He announced this to everyone. "If anyone is too injured to fight I want you to come strait back here and stay safe under Lady Remi's shield. There won't be much room so I expect you guys to stay as unwounded as possible!"

Everyone nodded, understanding him crystal clear. Haru's own confidence was rubbing off on all of them giving them hope and making them proud. One by one they all stood up.

"The rest of you are to be coming with me to the battle field! Vassals, nobles, friends of mine, we all have our own unique skills. Each of you tonight has shown me that you all are each as strong as a hundred Raregroovian flunkies! You can win this!"

"My liege, what is thy attack strategy?" Forristas asked.

"I want all of you to take out as many of those flunkies as possible! If someone is wearing Raregroovian paraphernalia, take em out! If they are wearing civilian clothing, help them! THEY are what it's all about! Without our people our kingdom is nothing! Their safety should come first and far most important. I want as few casualties as possible, is that understood?"

"Yeah!" They all cheered out in unison, getting pumped.

"As for myself, I need to find away to get Grand Duchess Valentine to safety. If I can get her away from Lucia's control, this war will be as good as won!"

"Sire, that is like going directly into the eye of the storm! You'll be taken apart before you can even get close!" Fumia urged him to take a more safe position.

"Then I better have the best protection possible going in there, won't I? I need you guys to cover me! Get me as close to the Grand Duchess as possible and leave the rest up to me."

The look in the new king's eyes was practically dripping with certainty. If anything happened to him, it would be game over; there aren't any more Symphonian heirs nearby who could lead them. However there was no way they would be able to talk him out of this potentially fatal plan. All they could do was have his back and let whatever will be, will be, even if that means dying for the honor and glory of their nation. They would not question his judgment.

"All right. Is everyone clear on this? Are you all ready?"

Everyone in the room stood tall, proud and ready for this war.

"Roll out!"

* * *

The Raregroovian weapon that was once Elie Valentine, was doing exactly what it was doing as Haru had last seen her. Floating above all, blasting away at the innocent civilians down below. The only difference now was that she seemed to be much closer to the castle than she was before. It became clear that her, it, whatever you wanted to call Elie now (pending what side you were on) was not really aiming at anything. She just shot out her blasts ever few moments causing destruction on whatever was just unlucky enough to be in her way. Lucia was not controlling her magic, he was controlling her path, and she was getting a little closer to the palace with every passing explosion.

It was lucky that at the moment she was no longer hitting the homes of civilians but tourist shops and such, which were already empty either because they were closed at this hour or because those inside of them had managed to get away upon seeing what was coming their way.

At the rate Elie was going at the palace would be in complete ruins before sun up, but there was no way they would allow that to happen.

The army that Haru was able to put together at the last second looked much like the layout of a chessboard. Haru friends, Let, Julia, Belnika, Ruby and Musica all stood on the front lines. Behind them were all of the vassals. Mostly it was the king's vassals, but Nagisa, Salbia, and the rest of the noble's vassals that were with them for the Estates General were there too. One thing was for sure, they were definitely getting more honor and glory than they normally would for taking their nobles to their meetings this year. Behind them were four of the six vassals. Remi stayed inside with Solosido to care for Malakia. Finally at the back of the army was none other than Haru himself, staring outward.

Inside of Haru there was so much going on, it was like his emotions were a storm at sea and all of the rough waters were covered in oil and someone lit a match. He was screaming inside from the fear from the pressure, but on the surface he was calm. It was like his survival instinct had beaten down his raging panic attack for the moment to keep him alive and keep him from running. He didn't like the feeling of being numb, but at the moment he was grateful for it.

"Psst. Hey Reina! Hey!" Musica whispered loudly to get the female vassal's attention.

"What?" She loudly whispered back annoyed with him. "I have other things to worry about than you right now."

"I just wanted to say…" He began. "If we live through this… I want to take you out… you know on a real date. You know, romance and all."

She raised an eyebrow at the silver claimer in front of her. "What? What are you talking about? We're just friends with benefits, and why are you bringing this up now of all times?"

"Well when am I suppose to ask you? Tomorrow when one or both of us might be dead? I just don't want think about leaving this world with the relationship we have. It's just not good enough for me anymore…"

She just stared at him for a moment before answering "On two conditions. One. Focus on the matter at hand, two, I like fancy restaurants, none of that cheap fast food crap."

He agreed.

"Everyone!"

They all snapped their heads into the direction of Haru's voice, readily awaiting his signal to attack.

"FOR OUR FUTURE!"

The battle was on!

* * *

**Folks we have reached the climax of this story. I hate to have to tell you this but… Sniff, sniff… It's almost over!**

**Next chapter is the grand finale, not just for the story arc but also for the whole story. It's going to be about 95, maybe 98% fight scene. Most likely the most difficult chapter I have written. Whish me luck in the reviews and with Symphonia luck. You know we're all going to need it!**

**YOU HEAR THAT FOLKS LAST CHAPTER COMES NEXT WEEK!**

**Speaking of announcements I'd like to give a happy Birthday towards my fellow fan fiction writer and friend Lighteclipse21.0. You are now 16! You know what that means right? Only 9 more years until you can legally rent a car in the United States! Woo Hoo!**


	33. The War Is Ours Now  End Part

**The War is Now Ours Part 2**

**I don't own Rave Master, You don't own Rave Master, None of us own rave Master except for Hiro Mashima that is.**

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* * *

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The small Symphonian army that had just been put together at the last second charged forward, everyone running as fast as they could down the steps of the capitol palace and into the fray. As they got closer, they could feel the burning embers emitting from the demolished, barbequed buildings, courtesy of Lady Elie's Etherion blasts. The once great city now looked to be mostly in ruins. After this battle was done they would have to look to see if there were any survivors, but it seemed like for the most part, the city's peasants had gotten away to safety.

The scene was so tragically heart breaking. It was the most surreal thing to remember how grand and glorious their capitol was just this afternoon, and now it was a completely different place. They had no time to worry about any of that now however. They were in the mouth of hell and they were going to need to focus if they wanted to save what was left of the place and get out alive.

Elie wasn't the only means of destruction the enemy had. Lucia had brought with him an entire army to back him up. They would need to get by them first. The enemy had far outnumbered them, but they were not afraid. These guys were nothing. Each of the Symphonian vassals was as strong as at least 20 of Lucia's flunkies. They might as well be fighting flying monkeys.

Haru wasn't afraid of these guys in the slightest. He wasn't the little teenage boy that he was when he first came there. He swung his sword at any enemy that was unlucky enough to get in his path. They weren't even able to slow him down at all. He was an unstoppable bullet train that could take out two enemies with one swing in under a second. He didn't even stop to look at them as they fell, he just kept running forward, his jaw clenched tightly and his eyes set ablaze. He had his eyes on the prize and there was nothing that could break his focus. He was doing so much better than the rest of his allies that they didn't need to worry about their new king.

They had all gotten into their own individual battles. They could move forward no farther thanks to the dozens of Raregroovian soldiers that grouped up around each of them and blocked their way. It would take a few minutes but they could not preceded forward until they had defeated them all. It took them 30 seconds each to take out an enemy rather than Haru's one second.

"Julia!" Let called out to his friend as he took on three soldiers at once.

"Yeah, what is it? I'm kinda busy over here!" She answered as she flipped a guy over her head and into somebody else.

"I know this is kind of fast, ugh! But I want you to come home with me when this whole thing is through! Yarg!" Speaking with her at the moment was very difficult. He needed to focus on what he was doing but he wanted to ask her this more than anything right now. His enemies were taking advantage of this.

One of the Raregroovian soldiers managed to get the jump on him and secure his arms. He was wide open for an attack. Just as another soldier was about to stab him right through the chest Julia came and roundhouse kicked the guy to the face before he could do anything to Let. Then she turned and did the same to the one holding Let down.

"What do you mean come home with you- HYAA!" She asked as she punched another enemy in the face.

Let threw some guy through the air and answered. " Let's face it Julia, I'm not cut out for Inner world… I've gotten very home sick as of lately, HYAAA! I want to go home as soon as this whole matter with Raregroove is settled. When I do I want you to come with me."

Julia kicked another man to the side. "I don't know Let- TAKE THIS BITCH! I don't know anything about Outer world and this is so sudden- DIE!"

"That didn't stop me from coming here." He threw one last guy over his shoulder before stopping to look the female dragon race in the eyes. "You'd be great over there. I think you can do anything, and I think you'd really like the blue skies."

She stopped to think about it for a moment. She always wanted to travel, and if Let was leaving she didn't want to risk never seeing him again. Out of all her friends she cared the most about him. She would even go so far as to say that she really liked him. This could be her only chance to ever go the Outer world, the mysterious place she heard such extraordinary things about. If she didn't say yes now, she would be wasting so many opportunities.

Let swatted away some Raregroovian freak that tried to get the jump on her, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Okay." She answered as she turned to face the battlefield once more.

"Okay?" Let asked, his voice filled with hope.

"If we live long enough I promise to come back with you."

Let turned back to what he was doing before as well. An unconscious smile played on his lips. "Right then! Let's get to work!"

* * *

KABLAM!

"Ahh why does that keep happening? It's starting to really hurt. I'm already so exhausted, how do I make it stop?" She said to herself, or thought it. She couldn't differ what she was thinking or what she said out loud any more.

All she knew was that on regular intervals she would feel a sharp sudden drain, like something was being drained from her leaving her weak. She couldn't tell if it happened ever second or every few minutes or what? She had long lost her concept of time, but it felt like getting punched in the gut and having all the wind get knocked out of you and every time you're ready to rise to your feet again and you finally catch your breath, it happens all over again, and each time hurts more than the last.

KABLAM

"Ugh. There it goes again.

This time she noticed something. Every time that sharp draining feeling hit her, she also heard a loud thundering blast, but now that she thought of it, she could hear something else as well. It sounded like somebody was screaming, like they were in pain or were scared. Maybe those blasts had something to do with it. Maybe they were hurting them.

She hoped that wasn't the case.

KABLAM!

"Arg! I've got to know what is doing this!" She internally screamed. It took her one moment to figure out that her eyes were closed. Seriously, both her mind and body were completely numb. When she cracked them open, she shut them almost immediately. The light was so bright. It hurt her eyes.

She tried again, this time a little slower. She tried to take it all in. The bright, blinding light made everything was so blurry. She could make out moving shapes but that was it. She could hear the shapes make loud noises but they sounded muffled to her like somebody was covering her ears. At least she was able to remember what ears and eyes were by now.

Little by little, understanding of the world around her was coming back, but something was off. Even though she was aware of her own body by now, she didn't feel in control of it. She stared down at all of the shapes and realized she was so high up above them, just suspended in the air slowing moving in a direction that she did not choose.

She wanted to go down there, to see the shapes close up and know what exactly they were; maybe she could even do something to make them stop screaming. Was there anything she could do to make their pain or worry go away?

Maybe she was wrong about what she was. Maybe she wasn't a 'she' at all. Maybe she was an 'it'. 'She's' could control their bodies and move they way they wanted to. 'She's' did not float above everyone else, staring groggily down at them all, not knowing whether they were thinking or talking, and 'she's' could react to those around them, reach out to them and stop them from screaming.

Putting all of it together, 'It' decided that there was no way it could be considered a she; therefore it should stop trying to be something it's not. Stop caring about those who were down below her and just do whatever it was suppose to do. Don't fight; just let whatever happens, happen.

KABLAM!

It shut its eyes once more trying to block out the uncomfortable, painful drain. Whatever it was feeling was obviously natural, so it should just let the drain keep happening and maybe the hurt would become bearable.

* * *

Haru made a mad dash closer to wear Elie was hovering. If he could just get through to her then he could help her get back control and she would stop this. He just needed to make her hear him.

He ran past burning buildings and torn down rubble. If he ever saw a war zone than this would be it. All around him people were battling on for their lives. Each of them had the intention to kill and you could see it in their eyes, even if you were just merely passing by them.

The new Symphonian king ran past people whom he had grown to know, make friends with. They were putting up one heck of a fight as they struggled against multiple opponents at once.

The Earl of Ribeyla swung a huge battle-axe around like it was no problem for him. His vassals fought in a similar style to him. They were amazing. As soon as they were done with one enemy they would move on the next in a heartbeat. It was like watching gladiators in the coliseum. It was easy to see how they rivaled dragons on who made the best soldiers. In the light of the fire that surrounded the area he could see that their faces were drenched in dirt and sweat but they were not breathing heavy in the least. They looked like they could go on for hours.

They weren't the only ones. Haru had to duck as a fireball zoomed over his head and landed directly in the line of fire for at least five enemy soldiers. He quickly turned his head towards the direction of where the ball of fire had originated from and he caught a glimpse of the Grand Baron in action.

For a guy in his later years he sure could fight. The enemy soldiers all had trouble getting near him and whatever attacks that were lucky enough to hit their target appeared to have little to no effect. Every time Altagis would get hit, he'd just shake it off like it was a mere bug that had flown into him.

He let out a mighty roar as he swung his tail, knocking over three Raregroovian men in the process. The giant beast was clearly having no problem winning his fight, and his two vassals seemed to be doing well also. They flew overhead, blasting away at the Raregroovians from above. The enemy stood no chance of defeating something like that. This was exactly the situation these dragon race men trained for. Just in case war broke out and their nation needed them they would always stand ready.

Haru shook his head trying to banish these distracting thoughts. He had stopped running to watch the war going on, forgetting that he was apart of it.

He never took his eyes off of Elie as he ran; he dodged oncoming attacks from enemies and got out of the line of fire for his comrades. As it turned out she was much farther away than she looked. Her bright light made her seem rather close but in reality, Haru felt like he was running forever. Maybe it was because he was just so anxious to get to her, but the seconds seemed to tick by as if they were millennia. His legs were rubber to him from going on at full speed the whole time and he was panting heavily, still he kept going, thinking of nothing but what he needed to do. It drove him through the fatigue.

Finally he was as close to his power spewing best friend as he possibly could get. His eyes stung from the bright light and he did his best to shield them while still trying to look at her. He searched desperately in the light for her silhouette, her familiar figure, anything that would let him know she was in there.

His retinas burned from the brightness, but he didn't care he finally found her. He could just barely make it out, but her form looked limp as it floated there high above him. He could not make out any specific features but he knew right away it was her. He'd know the shape of her body anywhere. She was like a second sun, but closer and spewing blasts of destructive magic.

KABLAM!

Another blast shot out of her like a giant cannon. Haru was almost directly under her so it didn't come close to hitting him. She never shot directly below; it was always in random directions to the ground, but never directly below.

Haru was far enough away from the explosion to not get hurt but the blast was close enough to get the ground under him to shake like an earthquake and a giant cloud of dust and debris kicked up and blew into him. It felt like he was in the middle of an earthquake, tornado and lightning storm all rolled up into one. He couldn't see, he could barely hear anything, yet that didn't scare him away. He kept his mind on his mission.

The Symphonian king cupped him mouth in hopes that would make him at least a little audible to the girl. He hoped at least she would be able to hear him. He shouted out to her "ELIE!"

He could barely be heard over the raging wind but he kept trying. "ELIE I'M HERE NOW! IT'S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT! I'LL- AHHH!"

There was no way for him to see it coming. He didn't even know what it was at first but suddenly he was struck hard to the head and sent flying back so many feet until his back hit something hard. The rough impacts made his head go fuzzy for a moment.

He cracked his eyes and could see a new silhouette in the light. This time it was of a man wearing what appeared to be armor and a cape holding some thing large that slightly resembled Haru's sword. After a moment or two the silhouette came into focus and he could see the man more clearly. The dark man standing in the light walked closer to Haru.

He gasped as now recognized the worst possible person coming towards him. It was king Lucia standing over him now. The villainous man squinted his rotten yellow eyes down at the new Symphonian king in a disapproving glare as if he was ashamed that The Outer world raised teenager had come.

Other than his squinting eyes, Lucia showed no problem with the current environment. It was as if he was just standing in any old safe and normal place rather than in the midst of a giant magical destructive storm that could blow him away to his death. His hair and cape whipped around him like it begged to be let go but the Raregroovian king paid no mind to it. All his focus was solely on Haru and all Haru could do in return was stare up at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Well isn't this as annoying as a fly in my soup. I should have known to be more thorough in killing you, but I never thought an Outer world hick like you could cause me this much of a headache." Lucia seethed down at him. He was just loud enough to be heard over the magic disaster Elie was bringing up.

Haru stared on with wide eyes as he watched Lucia take out his weapon and raised it to strike. "I don't know if my _purebred _pet told you this, but I don't like dirty mutts!"

Haru snapped out of his shock just in time to roll out of the way of the attack. When the Raregroovian king's sword came down on the spot he was just in, the ground underneath him was split in two. It would have killed Haru instantly.

Slowly Lucia turned to the target he had just barely missed. Blood lust was evident in his eyes. This whelp was trying to mess with his plans. He didn't know how the novice king had gotten this far, but he would nip this bud before it got any more obnoxious.

Haru who was still on the ground had backed up a few feet. His eyes never left Lucia's, which was very bad on his part. On one hand it meant that the Raregroovian king could not surprise him, on the other hand it meant that all of the fear inside of the teen was clearly visible to his enemy. Lucia could plainly see how nervous he was without a doubt.

It was like those demonic eyes had him pinned down. He could not pull away from them. Like a train wreak, he could not turn his head away from the nightmarish gaze.

Swiftly he pulled himself up to his feet and pulled out his own weapon. He shakily pointed it out towards the demonic eyed king in a weak attempt to warn him to get away, but the golden haired king did not buy it for one moment.

As his enemy began to stride closer to him, with every step a little voice in Haru's head grew louder. It said 'Run! Run! He's gonna kill you!' The screaming voice in his head was beginning to compete with the loud shaking of Haru's knees. They trembled too hard for either of them to move.

Just when Haru was sure it was over he heard something else that was really loud.

KABLAM!

The noise of one of Elie's magic explosions going off snapped him out of his terrified trance, and just in time too. The teen was able to parry Lucia's second attack at the last second. He used his own sword to push his enemy back, and then he lunged forward on the offensive.

He remembered his promise to Elie. He could not just stand there like an idiot while the girl needed him more than ever. He couldn't let this jerk beat him again. There was a slight change in plan. Instead of rescuing her first and then beating this guy, he'll show him what this 'mutt' could do right now and then he'd get Elie back to her old self

This time it was Lucia in a state of shock. He could not believe that this novice was doing so well. Just two hours ago, he couldn't even make a dent in his perfect form and now it took all Lucia had to block his attacks. Haru wouldn't let up. It was like he was a force similar to the magic storm they were in right now. He was as powerful as a hurricane.

So that was it. It was just king Lucia vs. king Haru in a winner take all battle as the world around them was being set on fire by the woman they both wished to have, either for love or for power. They swiped and struck each other with their massive swords, using their full strength with each blow. The sound of metal clashing was just loud enough to be heard over the explosions that occurred all around them. Yet they paid no mind to the destruction or to any of their scenery at all. They were so focused on each other it was as if they didn't even notice anything else anymore. They just kept right on with their full- on attacks.

Up above them both, the weakened and confused girl watched them with bleary eyes. She wasn't entirely sure of what she was seeing. The two that tried to kill each other below her were so familiar to her but she just couldn't seem to put her finger on it. It was like when you know something but you just can't remember the name of it. It was so frustrating.

The only thing she was sure of was that one of the two was somebody that she did not like and the other, well it was more then just the opposite of what she was feeling for the first one. Did she like him? The feelings that came with the second one were so confusing she didn't know what to call them. All she knew was that she hoped he would be okay.

Wait a minute. She hoped? Hoping was something that was reserved for people. How could she be feeling something like that? Could it be that maybe she was…

The hope that swelled inside her grew bigger at that thought. It confirmed her greatest wish. She actually was a person!

"UGH!" She grunted as another drain took a hold of her. She looked down at where the blast had hit, and her gaze fell back on the two fighting below her. That time it had almost hit them. The shire force of the explosion alone was enough to knock them off their feet and send them flying a few yards, interrupting their duel.

She stared down in horror. She still couldn't remember them exactly but she was now sure that she didn't want to see them die. Whatever was happening to her right now it was time to take control!

* * *

Haru pulled himself to his feet. That last explosion was such a shock. He had gotten so wrapped up with his fight with Lucia he had forgotten where he was. That's when he noticed something. During the fight he and Lucia had moved around a lot, all the way over into Elie's range of attack. This was bad. He needed to wrap this up soon, before Etherion had turned them both into nothing but dust.

"Lucia! We need to- AHHH!" Before he could tell him anything, he found himself suddenly narrowly dodging the evil king's attack. He tumbled forward, rolling over rubble and debris and even what felt like hot ciders from the flames. It made him dizzy but that wasn't half as bad as the terrible pain that came with his hard landing. It was like rolling over fired up pieces of glass. He heard a slight crack from his own left hand and intense pain flooded him in that area. Something must have broken.

When he finally came to a stop he had to shake his head to clear his mind of the stars he was seeing. The darkened sky, lit up only by the light of Etherion, was filled with smoke and falling ash. It was the first thing he saw. Then another thing came into his line of vision.

Lucia stood over him. His clothing was charred and his face looked as if he had just come out of a burning building and his wild blond hair was in a singed mess. He had the most terrifying look in his big narrowed eyes. His pupils were like daggers that cut through a man's soul with the burning hatred that was evident inside of them. The Raregroovian king looked absolutely insane at that very moment. It was easy to see that he had taken more of Elie's last attack than Haru did.

He slowly held up his sword in a threatening manner. His hands violently shook but it wasn't because he was afraid to do the evil deed. "I've had enough of this…" He hissed through his teeth.

"You've defied my plans all night and you make me get hurt from my own pet's attack…"

Haru creased his eyebrows at that last statement. Even broken and beaten as he was he would not take that kind of language from him of all people.

He held up his own sword and aimed it at Lucia as he slowly got up. "Elie… Is not your pet…" He had to stop for a moment to clutch his side. He winced at the pain. Was one of his ribs broken too? How bad was that fall? He shook it off. If he appeared to weak Lucia would take advantage of that.

He continued on. "I am not a mutt… and I'm going to defy your plans as long as I need to until you LEAVE MY COUNTRY ALONE!"

The Raregroovian king threw back his head and let out a maniacal laugh at Haru's feeble attempts to get him to back off. "Ha Ha! Oh you are such a child. Don't you understand? This is my country now! All of the countries are mine! Even those in Outer world! I am a Raregroovian king! The king of the finest empire ever existed! If anyone has the right to rule over us all it should be me!"

"You're out of your mind." The Symphonian king muttered.

"Yes I live in my own little world." Lucia raised an eyebrow and gave him a mocking look. "But don't we all just live in our own little worlds? Even in this country. The people of the capitol could care less about how women are treated in Makai and do you think that the Green state cares about Raybarrier's growing crime rate in the dessert? No they are too busy to worrying about their forest fire problem. Face it. No one gives a damn about others, but if we were all one, if we all lived under one uniformed leader we could all come together. That's my dream of a perfect world."

Haru couldn't deny that Lucia had a point. It sure would be nice if everybody could come together. But if they did it, it had to be their choice, not because they were forced into it.

"It doesn't work like that!" Haru barked. "You can't make people just bow down like that. Yes I think they should care about each other but it's their own individuality that brings so much to the table. But you're right, This is the first time my people have come together for just about anything in a long time and it's on these terrible circumstances."

The young king clenched his fists together in determination. "I'm going to do my best for this country. We'll stand united as individuals with similar interests, and I'll stand up with them and protect this system, especially against people like you who want to tare us down!

That's what Elie was talking about when she made Rave. It's about protecting what is precious to us, and at this moment, I think that the nation that my grandfather helped build up is more precious to all of us who are fighting here today than anything you could ever hope to fight for. That's why we as individuals could come together! "

Lucia couldn't hold in his sickening laughter! He could not grasp what it was that Haru was preaching. The only way anybody could come together is if they had a great strong leader to weed out any who could not understand. In his eyes Haru was uttering juvenile nonsense.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh that is just too rich! Are you getting your political ideas from fairy tale books? We've all tried that system! Even my old country worked under the feudalistic dreams that each state could act individually! It does not work! Even Outer world realized that! You're from there you should know! What make's you so sure you can save this dying system?"

The answer to that question was simple. He knew it deep in his heart. "Because I promised Elie I'd make things normal for her again and that she would be safe."

Once again Lucia viewed this as a joke "You promised?"

"Yeah." The Symphonian king answered as he gripped tightly to the hilt of his blade. "I PROMISED!"

He charged forward and the fight continued despite the dangers of the environment around them. From where they were standing a beam of Etherion could come down and destroy them at any moment that is if they didn't destroy each other first. They just kept on blocking and parrying each other's attacks.

Blow for blow, they just kept on swinging. It could have lasted only a few seconds, or even a thousand years. They no longer kept track. The only thing that either of them paid even the slightest bit of attention to was the fight.

Both of them had never fought harder than they did at that very moment. Their forms had to be perfect for if they were even the slightest bit off, it would mean the end of their lives. The first to slip up was the first to take their last breath.

Through the worst-case scenario, it was Haru who had been the one to mess up first. Despite his only using a sword for a short period of time, he had managed to last a while, but up against Lucia who had been planning for this day since back when he was but a little prince learning basic diplomacy, it was to be expected. The newly crowned king took a lunge forward only to miss him by a mere inch and lose his footing. It was only for a mere instant that he had lost his balance but Lucia saw the opportunity and took it.

Lucia lunged his blade forward and pierced the side of Haru's ribcage. The teenage boy's eyes went wide as intense white-hot pain exploded within him. It was like nothing he had ever felt or imagined before. He didn't know how to describe it. He couldn't move! It was like the entire world had slowed down and was only moving a mile an hour.

As he fell to his knees he noticed another pain spring up from inside. This time it came from his throat. He had been screaming at the top of his lungs the whole time. He was still screaming like a harsh snap in the silence. He didn't notice it before because he was too focused on the insufferable pain in his side.

* * *

Meanwhile back in Outer world, the other part of Lucia's sinister plan was coming to fruition. The part of his plan that involved bursting through the portal into the Springfield train station men's room.

Some of his henchmen were working on the problem at that very moment. They would not fully open the portal all the way, not just yet. They needed to wait for their Liege's signal and it would take time to rip open the portal to a size big enough to fit his entire army plus the Etherion girl through but they were preparing for his signal nonetheless, and even on the other side, one could easily tell.

Stepping out of a bathroom stall was a sweet normal little boy, probably no older than six. He went right to the sink to wash his hands. While he was scrubbing his soapy hands together he noticed something very odd. The cracks on the bathroom wall were glowing, almost as if there was somebody or something on the other side shining a flashlight through them.

He paused to take a long look at the scene before him out of curiosity. He was plenty old enough to know that walls weren't supposed to glow.

Then things got even weirder. The walls began to shake a little. Tiles fell off like there was an earthquake going on. Now the little boy was beginning to get frightened. He ran out of the bathroom yelling, "Mommy!"

He was right to be afraid. If only he knew of the terror that was practically begging to be set free on just the other side of that wall.

* * *

She watched on at the scene below her in a mixture of curiosity and terror. It was like watching a train wreck, while it completely horrified her, she could not tare her eyes away.

The fight between the two men that she had been watching for some time now was coming to a close. It seemed as though a clear winner had been decided. One of the boys was now on his knees and it did not look as though he was going to be getting up. The other on had used his weapon to puncture a hole in his side and now he was quickly leaking a red substance.

It shot a pain through her chest much worse than any drain that had come over her before. It was as if something deep inside of her had been shattered and unlike the drains this feeling was only getting worse as the seconds ticked by.

She parted her lips slightly. She wasn't trying to speak. There were no words for this situation. Her mouth was agape from pure shock. As a result something rolled into her mouth. It was like a type of salty water. Wait a minute. It was coming from her eyes! The sight of seeing that poor boy leak red liquid everywhere had caused her to leak also. The question was, why?

There was something about this injured boy that had affected her so deeply. She couldn't explain it.

She had now become very aware of her breathing. It was so quick and heavy. Yes, there was definitely something about this boy that affected her very strongly, but why? Why was this boy so important in particular? Why did she care about one boy so much more strongly than another and why should she care at all?

Then it hit her. It was the fact that she cared that had made this sight so terrifying. She didn't want the boy to be hurt. She cared too much about him to just stand by and do nothing.

A new sensation was coming over her. It was the reason why she cared! She was a person right? That meant that she must have interacted with other people at some point in her existence. Maybe this boy was one of those people. Maybe he was good and kind to her. Maybe he was the kind of person who had made her feel this uncertain, wonderful, worried, heart pumping, and so many other words to describe this feeling before? Maybe he was even able to affect her like that all the time?

As she went over that idea in her head she tried to picture it all being true. Imagining it came so easy to her. She could picture the boy's face smiling at her so perfectly. It was only then she realized why. Those pictures running around in her head were not just a product of her imagination. They were real live memories! She had memories of somebody, and not just anybody, but someone who cared about her and who she cared for in return! It was so wonderful!

Gasp, and he was in trouble right now!

She looked down and watched in horror as that other boy raised his weapon. He was going to strike once more! No! She had to save him! He needed her!

She reached out to the scene below her and screamed out one word! She knew she was screaming because she could actually feel it come out of her throat this time! One word had made it out. It was just the word that felt most appropriate.

"HARU!"

* * *

Lucia stood over the trembling and broken body of king Haru glory with a sadistic smile on his sweaty face. Finally the thorn in his side that had been disrupting his plans since his first sent his henchmen to capture Elie in Outer world was now about to be snuffed out again and once he was gone, there would be no one left in this world to stop him.

He raised his sword about to unleash the final blow. Haru slowly lifted his head up, just enough to look at the merciless evil king in his crazed rotten yellow eyes. His own lavender pupils were glassy and filled with pain yet they instilled no sympathy into the Raregroovian.

"Well I guess that's it from you then, isn't it?" He jeered at the helpless teen.

Haru could say nothing back. Other than pain, his face revealed no form of readable expression. It was impossible to tell what was going on in his mind, and Lucia didn't care. Once he was gone, he would never give the mutt another thought for as long as he lived, and he was planning to live a long, long time, accompanied by a vast following of slaves and unworthy maggots to live over. But especially he would live with that beautiful pet of his, Elie. She would forever be his slave, his lover and his weapon and she would never give The Symphonian king another thought either. She wouldn't even know anything other than what he wanted her to know to keep her his own.

Lucia's grin widened even further at this thought and his eyes went wide with adrenaline. It was his time!

Lucia brought his sword down with all his might, aiming to shatter Haru's skull into a thousand splinters. It was only an inch away, only a second away, when it all went up in smoke and the Etherion blast came down upon him, like swift justice from the heavens.

Lucia hadn't seen it coming at all. He was completely unprepared and as a result he was unable to finish his attack on Haru.

The light was so bright and the pain was so intense, Lucia shut his eyes tightly and let out a scream that could only be barely heard over the explosion. The pain was so absolutely unbelievable. It knocked him off his feet and he didn't know where he was or how long it lasted, a second, an hour, an eternity? It all felt the same. The white hot intense suffering he felt at that exact moment could not be compared to any other pain he had ever felt before in his, or many other's, entire existence, and by the time it was over, by the time the smoke cleared, the heat ebbed and he could see once more, the only thing he could do was gasp as the oxygen he was certain he was not getting enough of blasted into his lungs and he could, for lack of a better word, live again.

He was completely paralyzed. Unable to move and yet it was too painful to stay where he was. He couldn't even muster up a scream, but after only one quiet moment his own weakness made the choice to move for him and he was left to fall on his knees.

"Gasp! Gasp! It-No! This can't be happening!" Lucia managed to get out in between gasps.

"Well it looks like… Your little 'pet'… Isn't as obedient as you think she is…"

No! That voice! It can't be! Lucia thought. Slowly and ever so painfully, the beaten and broken Raregroovian king twisted his head around just enough to see over his shoulder and found himself staring wide-eyed and pale faced at his biggest nightmare right before him.

How? Lucia was certain that it wasn't possible! Not only was Haru not affected by the Etherion blast, which happened when Lucia was right next to him, he was actually getting up! He was just barely staggering to his feet mind you, but still only moments ago he was on his knees in insufferable pain from the wound that the Raregroovian king had caused himself!

He shouldn't be getting up! He shouldn't even be alive to begin with! That mutt must have taken the same amount of damage as he did when the blast came down, so how in the world was this possible?

For a moment Haru himself looked confused by it. He took his hand clenching his side away from his wound for a moment to examine it more carefully. Then he smiled. He knew what was going on.

When that blast hit he had heard Elie calling out to him. It was as if to say that he should not be afraid, that she would protect him, so even though he was there when Etherion hit him, it did not hurt. In fact it actually felt comforting and it eased his pain. It was because she was not aiming at him. That Etherion blast was shot out for the sole purpose of protecting him.

His confidence grew along with his smile. If Elie could control Etherion to do that for him then it meant that her memory was coming back and she was taking charge of her powers and not the other way around. He didn't know how he knew all this. In some way Elie told him but without really saying anything. In a weird unexplainable way he could just feel it, if that made any sense.

"It's time to end this." Haru exclaimed as he looked to Lucia. Haru's blade began to glow wildly with the power of the Rave stone. The bright light contrasted and almost rivaled the light of Etherion up above it. He lifted it up to commence with the final blow.

Lucia could only stare up in horror. Once he was gone, the rest of the Raregroovian army would fall and that would be the end of his ambitions.

The blade was just about to come down upon the Raregroovian king when suddenly something else came down first. The earth that they had been standing on was beginning to crumble underneath both kings. That Etherion blast had damaged it too greatly and the land was beginning to split in two, creating a large crevice in the ground that would swallow up Haru and Lucia!

They tried to hold their balance on the braking land but to no avail and they were about to be swallowed up into the dark pit! At the last second Haru had managed to grab on to the side of the hole to stop himself from falling in. If he let go there would be no telling if he would survive.

He looked down to check how deep the crevice was. He wasn't afraid of heights but the long drop made him dizzy. There was no way to tell exactly. It was so dark. For all he knew it went on forever.

He noticed something else down there as well. Lucia was a little ways further down than he was. The Raregroovian king was also holing on the side of the wall for dear life but from where Haru was hanging, it didn't look as though the guy would make it.

The Newly crowned Symphonian king was conflicted. He could try to save Lucia. He never really wanted him dead to begin with. When he was about to strike he had no intention of using fatal force. He went into this battle hoping that as few amount of people would die as possible and that included both sides. Then again this would stop Lucia's reign of terror for good. All those people that he hurt, he would never be able to hurt again. He tired to kill so many and if he tried to save Lucia, there was a huge chance that he would only be brought down with him and them they'd both die.

Haru shook his head of those negative thoughts. The answer was simple. He had to do what he could to save Lucia. It had nothing to do with the person Lucia was, but it had every thing to do with the person Haru was. Haru was not the type of guy to let anyone go. If he didn't help Lucia, he'd look back on this moment forever as the moment he betrayed his own believes, and if this day taught him anything, it was that his believes were worth risking his life for.

"Give me your hand!" Haru yelled out to the Raregroovian king as he let one hand go of the side of hole and extended it out towards him. The dark king could only stare at the hand with an unreadable expression. Was he going to take it? What did he value more his life or his pride?

Haru would forever ponder what Lucia was going to do. That question was never answered because at that second, the wall that Lucia was clinging to for dear life crumbled under him and he fell back.

Never once did Lucia break eye contact with Haru through the last moments of his life, his expression forever unreadable. As he fell deeper into the darkness, the last thing Haru saw of him was his body smash against the side of the wall, splattering his blood everywhere. He had died before he even reached the dark bottom.

Haru was in complete shock with what he saw. His eyes were fixated to where he had last seen the Raregroovian king. It was so unfortunate for both kings. If Haru had acted quicker, than he would have been able to save himself. Instead the wall the he was clinging to also crumbled under him and he fell back into the darkness.

* * *

"It's in here! Over here, mom!" Shouted the same little Outer world boy from before. He frantically pulled on his mother's hand and dragged her to the men's room where he witnessed the strange occurrence happening to the bathroom wall before.

The last thing the woman wanted to do was venture into the men's room but her son seemed very upset by something so she reluctantly complied. The little boy was beginning to hurt her by pulling so hard on her wrist and it was difficult to keep up with him. Whatever it was that scared him had turned him into a bundle of energy. She really hoped this was worth it.

The boy threw the men's room door open to reveal… Nothing. Just a pain old dirty lavatory. The strange light and shaking admitted from the tiled wall that he witnessed earlier was all gone. Ti looked as though it hadn't occurred at all.

The little boy looked on in confusion wondering what had happened while his mother simply scowled impatiently. The woman let out a huff of anger then grabbed her son's hand and proceeded to drag him away.

"Honey we don't have time for your little games. We're going to miss our train!"

"But there really was something, mom!" The little boy whined as he followed his mother. She would never believe him and he would never know what it all truly was.

All of Outer world would go about their regular business that night, now and forever completely oblivious to the danger they were in and that their entire lives and all of history was so close to being forever changed that night.

Maybe it was better that way.

* * *

Slowly, ever so slowly Elie fluttered her eyes. She had awoken just in time to witness the sun rising. The bright light made her squint slightly. Every muscle in her body was sore and aching and her head was such a blur. She didn't want to move from where she was laying.

As her vision cleared she gazed blearily all around her. She was lying in what looked like to be a wasteland, or a battlefield after a war. Her once pretty dress was a mess. She searched her aching head. How did she get here?

She gasped and her eyes went wide and she shot up so fast it made her so dizzy she almost fell back down. She remembered everything! Losing herself to Etherion, Being taken away by the Raregroovian king, everything came flooding back to her in a rush. It was all crystal clear now!

She shook her head at the whole situation. Etherion was like a thunderstorm. It contained so much destructive power but it couldn't remain that way forever. Eventually it would turn into a drizzle and then clear up. After all that had happened last night, her body just turned off Etherion on it's own, knowing that it just couldn't take anymore in a survival instinct.

She sure was glad that was over. And she was very grateful that she seemed to be back to her old self with no lasting damage. She was terrified that she would end up like her grandmother end up killing other people and hurting herself before she snapped out of it, but now she remembered everything and she was back in control. Everything was going to be fine. Looking back on it, it seemed weird that she could just forget everything and everyone like that. I mean how could she forget somebody like Ha- Gasp!

She just realized, she did end up hurting people. Her own king Malakia! What had become of him? And Haru? She saw him fall down a crack in the earth that her magic had caused! What about him?

She took off. She had to find somebody, anybody in this wasteland! She couldn't be alone! They had to be somewhere! She continued to run frantically, ignoring the protest of her tired and sore body. She wouldn't give up until she found- There it was!

She ran strait up to the crevice she was certain Haru had fallen down. She looked down it and gulped. It wasn't as deep as it originally looked. Now that it was daytime, she could see all the way down to the bottom.

She could see the corpse of king Lucia. His bloody body had landed on a sharp stone. It had impaled him. She gulped at the sight of him. The sight of anybody would cause her to become squeamish, but she didn't have time for that now. She mentally slapped herself to stay focus.

Her eyes wandered the bottom of the crevice for the one she was looking for. Then she spotted him. Her eyes went wide and her face lost all color. She just kept her eyes on him and didn't move for all of two minutes. It was as if she believed that if she just kept still and watched him, the scene would eventually change.

But it didn't. Haru lay at the bottom of the crevice face down and unmoving.

"HARU!" The Grand Duchess screamed out in her own horror. She finally snapped out of her daze and began to panic! She had to get to him now!

Clumsily and swiftly, using energy that she didn't know she had anymore, she climbed down the wall of the large hole. It was amazing that in her own panic that she didn't trip or fall. She did trip one time when she reached the bottom but she paid her bruises no mind.

She never once took her eyes off her fallen love as she dashed towards him. Tears weld up in her eyes so quickly she could do nothing to stop them. When she was only a foot away from him she fell to her knees.

"Haru…" She choked out. She reached out and rolled him over so that he was on his back. He was so battered. He didn't move or react at all to her moving him. It made her cry harder. It was like a dam had been broken. It was all she could do. No! No, he couldn't be- he had to be-!

She just kept her eyes, now blurry with tears on the motionless teenage boy as she wailed out in her despair. She picked up his limp cold left hand and brought it up to her face, planting small kisses and shedding her tears all over his bruised knuckles as she rocked back and forth trying to calm herself but to no avail.

Maybe it was a miracle. To this day no one knows. But at that moment The Symphonian royal's eyes began to slowly flicker open. He stared up at his friend with half lidded eyes. Her tears blocked her vision so she didn't even notice his gaze.

It was only when the hand that she clung to moved its fingers just enough to wipe some of the salty tears away from her beautiful face. The feel of his subtle touch had gotten her to tense up and she gasped as the whimpering halted. She stared directly into the soft lavender eyes at the boy who was now staring at her honey brown ones. Was she just seeing things? Was this possible? It couldn't be. It was just too good to be true.

"Hey…" He managed to croak out. His voice sounded so broken and so small, but it was there. He was still with her.

He parted his blood-dried lips to speak once more. "I must have brain damage…." He uttered unto her. "I think I broke every bone in my body… But I fell happy… Cause… You're here… You're all right."

The Grand Duchess couldn't help but crack a smile. It was a true wonder how she could smile with so many tears in her eyes, but the truth was this time she was crying tears of joy.

The morning sunlight shined down upon them both their tears glistened but they said nothing. They didn't move and inch. Elie clutched on to her beloved's blissful hand that now rested against her moist cheek as she stared down at his laying form. They just stayed right there, just like that, smiling at each other as if they were thinking of the same funny thing. In spite of everything that had just occurred, the nightmare they had just went through, and every pain they were feeling at that moment. Everything was perfect.

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**Ladies and Gentlemen, I hoped you have enjoyed the final chapter of 'Grand Duchess Valentine'. It was an absolute pleasure writing it. I feel very proud I took it this far. I've created the longest Rave Master Fan fiction on this entire website. I feel great even if anybody says it was no good.**

**Oh don't worry. There will be an Epilog up on schedule next Friday to tie up all of the loose ends and what not. If you have any last questions about the story or anything that you thought I didn't make clear, write me a review and I promise I will do my very best to answer them for you next time whether those answers actually be in the story or I just answer them for you in the author's notes.**

**Remember to review me any questions you have now or forever hold your peace because once this story is over I think I'm going to take a break writing fan fiction. I hope you won't blame me but I have a lot of things going on in my life right now (Don't worry about me, they're all good things but they need my focus.) and I think it would be best to focus on them at the moment. But come on after this huge story I'm a little burned out. Don't worry though. I'll be back someday. Maybe for the holidays I'm not going to make any promises though.**

**So I guess I'll see you next week for the last time in a long time.**

**Bye bye for now my wonderful readers. I love you all for hanging in with me through the whole journey. (Platonically)**


	34. Epilogue

**Epiloge**

**Last chapter, last disclaimer. I don't own Rave Master.**

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"I want to give it to them!"

"I want to give it to them, poyo!"

"I want to give it to them!"

"I want to give it to them, poyo!"

Belnika and Ruby bickered all the way down the halls of the royal capitol castle. It had been six moths since Raregroove was defeated. The palace was cleaned and fixed up very nicely since the war and you would never be able to tell there even was one by just looking at it.

On that clear winter night in particular, the snow fluttered down gently on to the new capitol palace roof but the stars were still clearly visible in the night sky like a thousand fireflies in a pool of blackness. But despite the wondrous beauty, the residents of the capitol including those of the castle were happy to be indoors on a cold night such as this.

The two New Elie vassals were both on their way to Prince Haru's bedchamber where he and the Grand Duchess of New Elie, whom they escorted to the capitol for a visit, currently resided.

A letter just came in that was addressed to both of them and the duo argued about who would have the honor of delivering it to them personally.

"Me, poyo!"

"Me!"

"Me, poyo!"

"Me!"

They argued so loud that they didn't even notice that they had already reached their destination and were now standing right in front of Haru's bedroom door. However someone had noticed them.

Haru had heard them yelling so loud he could hear them through the thick castle walls. He opened the door and found that the two of them were both tugging on each end of the letter, still too focused on their squabble to notice him.

The Symphonian prince saw the letter they were fighting over and whom it was addressed to written on it. He decided to stop this before the parchment got damaged and just take it from both of them right out of their hands.

The vassals froze in mid-thought and snapped out of their fight when they realized what had just happened.

"Thanks guys." Haru gave them a casual salute before he went back into his room and shut the door behind him.

"Uh… Your welcome sire!" They stood up strait to give him a more professional salute, not that he could see them now. They had to yell it through the thick mahogany wooden door. Well their work was done. Now who was going to take credit for that?

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And as they walked away, the bickering continued

"Hey Elie, take a look. We got a letter from Let and Julia in Outer world." Haru said as he opened the letter and examined it.

"Bring it over here. I want to know what it says." She replied as she sat up on his king sized bed. When visiting the capitol, Lady Elie was always offered her own room to stay in, however in most cases, such as that night, she never left Haru's room.

Haru happily went to sit with her. He scooted in comfortably right beside her as he showed her the letter.

"It says Let and Julia are enjoying their first year of college. It's pretty difficult and it's really taking them some getting used to but they're having a lot of fun. Let got a job teaching at a local dojo for some extra cash to buy books and such. Julia comes by from time to time to help teach, but she's been really busy lately with schoolwork. After meeting Let's dad, she's decided to become a lawyer. She says she enjoys taking charge and making people listen to her. They ask how things are going around here and they send us our best wishes." The price explained.

"When we write back, we have to tell them about how well Reina and Musica are doing." Elie pointed out.

"Yeah. I never would have thought it would go so well between them that Reina would actually resign from her position as royal vassal to go with Musica to New Elie."

"Elie laughed at the thought. "The Silver Rhythm gang is going to need a girl's touch now that I can't be there for them all the time anymore."

"I can't believe that you're just letting them waltz around your state like it's no big deal. They are crooks remember?"

Elie pouted at his statement. "Hey as an honorary member, I take offence to that. Once a member always a member, and just so you know we may have a different way of dolling out justice, but we're good guys so I'm not worried in the slightest about whatever their going to do now."

"Okay, okay." Haru put his hands up in surrender. He needed to change the subject. "Oh yeah, we should definitely tell them how much better grandpa has gotten." He exclaimed.

It was touch and go there for a while but Malakia ended up surviving his severe injuries. Once he was healed up enough to get around, he took his crown back, demoting Haru back to prince again.

"If you ask me. I think you really dodged a bullet there." Elie teased.

"Yeah no kidding!" Haru responded. "There is no way I am ready to be king. I just barely won that war. I think that the fact that we didn't loose anybody was dumb luck. Besides I'd have missed Gramps. He still has a lot more to teach me."

"Maybe so, but it's easy to tell that you are so close to getting there. Everyday I see more and more of the greatness inside of you blossom. You will make a great king someday."

As lady Elie spoke she leaned in closer to the princes face. An affectionate, caring smile played on her lips.

Haru blushed at her actions, but did nothing to pull away. His eyes softened as he looked down upon her lovingly. Her silky, lacy nightgown loosely draped over her body in a way that almost fell right off. She was by far the most remarkable, beautiful, woman there could ever be in existence. A small part of him kicked himself or not noticing it sooner, but a much bigger part of him was much more relaxed and happy. She was his girl now and at that very moment everything was pleasant and peaceful, as if he hadn't a care in the world. She had that effect on him and he was never going to let it slip away from him. This time, he'd hold on to her tight.

The prince gently took a hold of the Grand Duchess's shoulders and laid her back on to the pillows. She didn't protest in the slightest nor did she break eye contact. She stared fondly into her love's magnificent lavender eyes that reflected the emotion that she felt so deeply for him in return.

Her hands reached out for him, her fingers tangled themselves in his silver locks as she pulled his head closer to her own.

Ever since the war had ended six months ago, they both had learned something very important. Haru, who had once thought his life would never be interesting, and Elie who was once so uncertain about what would become of her, had at last realized that life could be fun and relaxing, and as their lips connected and they leaned their bodies into each others, they made a promise to have as much fun with their life as possible.

As long as the lavender skies over Symphonic reflected its peaceful existence, life would always be that way.

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So Symphonia went into a state of peace. The Rave stone was sealed away in safe place just in case its power was ever again needed, but its legend lived long and spread out across all of Outer world strengthening Symphonia's power.

Raregroove never recovered and the very little land that it had left was soon dissolved and with no rightful king to protect it, it was soon taken over by other territories, ending the Empire for good.

Elie continued on as the Grand Duchess of New Elie for another year until she trading in that title for an even more prestige one, princess and bride to the Symphonian prince. She crowned her most powerful and loyal vassal Sieg Hart the new Grand Duke in which he humbly accepted the title.

King Malakia ruled for five more years before Haru became king; he ran the nation into the ground… No I'm just kidding. He was a fine king and the nation continued to flourish under his reign.

Haru's family and friends in Outer world came to visit from time to time, but it was their choice to remain in Outer world where they all believed they could do the most good for themselves and for everyone. Outer world forever remained oblivious to the existence of Inner world and that's just the way they wanted it.

Ruling Symphonia would never be an easy task for the Outer world raised king and the nation would always have its problems and issues but with a royal family as wonderful as the Glorys, they knew there would always be a wonderful tomorrow.

END.

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**APPLAUSE...**

**No really thank you all so much. It's thanks to all of your wonderful encouragement that I was Able to take this story so far and make it the longest chapter in the entire Rave Master Fan Fiction section of this website! Top that! No seriously I'd love to see you guys top that, I hold a lot of admiration for those with high ambitions. In fact that's why I currently have to take a break from fan fiction writing for a while, I'm focussing on real ambitions right now. The kinds that would seem less dorky than bragging about the longest Rave Master Fan fic. But seriously if anyone wants to make a sequel to this or just write a fic to challenge mine, go for it.**

**Well Grand Duchess Valentine added to to about 34 chapters, 55 reviews, 6 favorites, 7, alerts, 1791 hits and a partrige in a pare tree, and thats just what it's up to now, I don't know if this story will be any popular with future audiences but I don't ever plan to take this thing down willingly so time can only tell. Seriouly, I'd love to hear more from you guys, what do you think?**

**Yup that's it. Good night everybody! or whatever time your reading this!**

**Until we meet again!**


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